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prop

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prop¹

  • /pɹɒp/ UK
  • /pɹɑp/ US, dialectal
  • /pɹɒp/ Canada, dialectal
  • /pɹɔp/ Australia
  • /pɹɒp/ New Zealand

Rhymes with -ɒp

Where it comes from

From Middle English proppe (“a prop, support, support for a vine or plant”), from Middle Dutch proppe (“support, support for a vine, stopper for a bottle”). Compare Middle Low German proppe (“plug, stopper”), German Pfropfen (“plug”), Danish prop (“plug, stopper”).

noun props

  1. An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports. They stuck a block of wood under it as a prop.

    Similar: shore

  2. The player on either side of the hooker in a scrum.
  3. Any of the seashells in the game of props.

verb props · propping · propped

  1. figuratively, sometimes, transitive To support or shore up something. Try using a phone book to prop up the table where the foot is missing.
  2. intransitive To play rugby in the prop position.
  3. transitive, usually, with "up" see prop up To position the feet of (a person) while sitting, lying down, or reclining so that the knees are elevated at a higher level.
  4. Australia, New Zealand, intransitive To stop suddenly or unexpectedly; derived from the situation where a horse might suddenly halt of its own accord, digging its front hooves into the ground to brace itself from forward movement, potentially unseating its rider.
  5. UK, obsolete, slang, transitive To knock (a person) down. We used to go out into the roads (highway robbery) between races, and if we met an ‘old bloke’ (man) we ‘propped him’ (knocked him down), and robbed him.

prop²

  • /pɹɒp/ UK
  • /pɹɑp/ US, dialectal
  • /pɹɒp/ Canada, dialectal
  • /pɹɔp/ Australia
  • /pɹɒp/ New Zealand

Rhymes with -ɒp

Where it comes from

Clipping of property.

noun props

  1. An item placed on a stage or set to create a scene or scenario in which actors perform. They used the trophy as a prop in the movie.
  2. colloquial A fake or fabricated version of an object, whether or not it is used for a scene. We threw a prop squirrel off of a tower.
  3. An item placed within an advertisement in order to suggest a style of living etc. You can use props in a literal way to enhance the story, such as shooting a woodworker amidst woodworking tools.

prop³

  • /pɹɒp/ UK
  • /pɹɑp/ US, dialectal
  • /pɹɒp/ Canada, dialectal
  • /pɹɔp/ Australia
  • /pɹɒp/ New Zealand

Rhymes with -ɒp

Where it comes from

Clipping of propeller.

noun props

  1. The propeller of an aircraft or boat.

verb props · propping · propped

  1. To manually start the engine of a propeller-driven aircraft with no electric starter by pulling vigorously on one of the propeller blades using the hands, so that the propeller can catch ignition.

prop⁴

  • /pɹɒp/ UK
  • /pɹɑp/ US, dialectal
  • /pɹɒp/ Canada, dialectal
  • /pɹɔp/ Australia
  • /pɹɒp/ New Zealand

Rhymes with -ɒp

Where it comes from

Clipping of proposition.

noun props

  1. US A proposition, especially on an election-day ballot. John Aubrey Douglass, a senior research fellow at the Center for Studies in Higher Education at Berkeley, said that while he was not an insider on admissions practices, “my sense is that admissions is highly regulated and careful to stay clear of Prop 209 restrictions, and the Supreme Court’s ruling

prop⁵

  • /pɹɒp/ UK
  • /pɹɑp/ US, dialectal
  • /pɹɒp/ Canada, dialectal
  • /pɹɔp/ Australia
  • /pɹɒp/ New Zealand

Rhymes with -ɒp

noun props

  1. abbreviation, clipping Clipping of propellant (“rocket fuel”).

prop⁶

  • /pɹɒp/ UK
  • /pɹɑp/ US, dialectal
  • /pɹɒp/ Canada, dialectal
  • /pɹɔp/ Australia
  • /pɹɒp/ New Zealand

Rhymes with -ɒp

noun props

  1. abbreviation, clipping, informal Clipping of proposition player

prop⁷

  • /pɹɒp/ UK
  • /pɹɑp/ US, dialectal
  • /pɹɒp/ Canada, dialectal
  • /pɹɔp/ Australia
  • /pɹɒp/ New Zealand

Rhymes with -ɒp

Where it comes from

Clipping of propagation.

noun props

  1. Internet A part of a plant reared for its multiplication.

prop⁸

  • /pɹɒp/ UK
  • /pɹɑp/ US, dialectal
  • /pɹɒp/ Canada, dialectal
  • /pɹɔp/ Australia
  • /pɹɒp/ New Zealand

Rhymes with -ɒp

Where it comes from

Clipping of testosterone propionate.

noun

  1. slang, uncountable Testosterone propionate.

    Similar: test prop

prop⁹

  • /pɹɒp/ UK
  • /pɹɑp/ US, dialectal
  • /pɹɒp/ Canada, dialectal
  • /pɹɔp/ Australia
  • /pɹɒp/ New Zealand

Rhymes with -ɒp

noun props

  1. obsolete, slang A blow; the act of striking someone. There was some good counter hits, and then Foster received a prop on the nose which drew the claret.
  2. obsolete A scarf pin.

PROP10

noun

  1. abbreviation, uncountable Abbreviation of propylthiouracil

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: prop up, shore up, airscrew, property, airplane propeller, fixture, lumber, pillar, propeller, hardware, plank, hold, sawing, by-catch, studio, support

Translations

Every language

noun object placed against or under another, to support it

Españolapoyo, puntal, sostén, apeo, paral, estribadero
Kiswahilinguzo
Portuguêsescora, apoio, amparo
Françaiscale, support, soutien
DeutschStütze, Unterstützung
Italianosostegno, puntello
Русскийподста́вка podstávka, опо́ра opóra
العربيةسِنَاد sinād, عِمَاد ʕimād, دِعَامَة diʕāma, رَكِيزَة rakīza

noun rugby: player next to the hooker in a scrum

Españolpilar
Françaispillier
Italianopilone

verb support

Españolapuntalar, apoyar, sostener, apear
Portuguêssustentar
Françaiscaler, poser, mettre
Deutschunterstützen, halten, stützen, abstützen, aufbocken
Românăpropti
العربيةدَعَمَ daʕama, عَمَدَ ʕamada, رَفَدَ rafada

noun item placed on a stage to create a scene

Españolatrezzo, utilería, atrezo, aplique
日本語持ち道具 mochidōgu
Portuguêsacessório, objeto de cena
Françaisaccessoire
DeutschRequisit, Ausstattung, Accessoire, Requisite
Italianooggetto di scena
Русскийреквизит rekvizit

noun propeller of an aircraft

Españolhélice
DeutschPropeller

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"prop." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/prop. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

prop. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/prop

Chicago

"prop." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/prop.

BibTeX
@misc{prop_2026,
  title = {prop},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/prop},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}