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prove

1. To try or to ascertain by an experiment, or by a test or standard; to test; as, to prove the strength of gunpowder or of ordnance; to prove the contents of a vessel by a standard measure. Thou hast proved mine heart. (Ps. Xvii. 3)

2. To evince, establish, or ascertain, as truth, reality, or fact, by argument, testimony, or other evidence. They have inferred much from slender premises, and conjectured when they could not prove. (J. H. Newman)

3. To ascertain or establish the genuineness or validity of; to verify; as, to prove a will.

4. To gain experience of the good or evil of; to know by trial; to experience; to suffer. Where she, captived long, great woes did prove. (Spenser)

5. (Science: mathematics) To test, evince, ascertain, or verify, as the correctness of any operation or result; thus, in subtraction, if the difference between two numbers, added to the lesser number, makes a sum equal to the greater, the correctness of the subtraction is proved.

6. To take a trial impression of; to take a proof of; as, to prove a page.

Synonym: To try, verify, justify, confirm, establish, evince, manifest, show, demonstrate.

Origin: OE. Prover, F. Prouver, fr. L. Probare to try, approve, prove, fr. Probus good, proper. Cf. Probable, Proof, Probe.

1. To make trial; to essay.

2. To be found by experience, trial, or result; to turn out to be; as, a medicine proves salutary; the report pro 570 ves false. The case proves mortal. . So life a winter's morn may prove. (Keble)

3. To succeed; to turn out as expected. The experiment proved not.