Meaning

An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports..

Definitions by Sense

1. An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports.
2. (rugby) The player on either side of the hooker in a scrum.
3. Any of the seashells in the game of props.
4. (transitive, sometimes figurative) To support or shore up something.
5. (intransitive) To play rugby in the prop position.
6. (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.
7. (intransitive, Australia, New Zealand) 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.
8. (transitive, UK, slang, obsolete) To knock (a person) down.

Example Sentences

They stuck a block of wood under it as a prop.

Try using a phone book to prop up the table where the foot is missing.

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.

They used the trophy as a prop in the movie.

You can use props in a literal way to enhance the story, such as shooting a woodworker amidst woodworking tools.

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 on affirmative action.”

“Watch how totally dishonest the California Prop vote is!” Trump fumed on Truth Social over the weekend.

There was some good counter hits, and then Foster received a prop on the nose which drew the claret.

Word Forms

• props
• propping
• propped

Synonyms for prop.

Related Words

When Should You Use Prop.?

Use prop. when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

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Frequently Asked Questions