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proofn. Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymons: French prove, preuve. Etymology: < Anglo-Norman prove, proeve, proove, prueve, preove and Old French, Middle French preuve, prueve, Middle French prove, proeve, proeuve, prouve (French preuve ) thing that proves a statement, evidence or argument establishing a fact or the truth of anything (second half of the 12th cent. in Old French), witness (c1200), evidence determining the judgement of a tribunal (beginning of the 13th cent. or earlier in Anglo-Norman in legal use), test, also ordeal (mid 13th cent.), experience (c1265), probate (late 14th cent. or earlier in Anglo-Norman in legal use), operation to check the correctness of an arithmetical calculation (late 15th cent. or earlier) < prover , proveir , pruver , prouver , etc. prove v. Compare Old Occitan prova (late 12th cent. or earlier; also frequently proa ; Occitan pròva ), Catalan prova (late 13th cent., earliest in sense ‘testimony’), Spanish prueba (13th cent.; end of the 12th cent. as †prueva ), Portuguese prova (13th cent.), Italian prova (end of the 12th cent. or earlier; also second half of the 13th cent. or earlier as †pruova ). Compare also Middle Dutch proeve , prōve , prouve (Dutch proef , proeve ; partly < French, and partly < Middle Dutch, Dutch proeven prove v.), Middle Low German pröve , prōve , (rare) prōf , and ( < Middle Low German) Old Icelandic próf . Compare later probe n.The formal variation in the English word largely reflects the two main form types of its French etymon, which as a deverbal derivative itself reflects similar formal variation in the parent French verb; see the discussion at prove v., and compare the etymological note at move v. However, as forms with medial -o- , -ou- seem to be less frequent in French than forms with medial -ue- , -eu- , it seems likely that the English β forms also show large-scale influence of the corresponding α forms of prove v. With the devoicing of final v to f (apparently after the loss of final e ) compare such pairs as believe v. and belief n., relieve v. and relief n.2, behove v. and behoof n., etc. Forms with voiceless final fricative are also occasionally attested in French, but probably show the influence either of similar English forms (in the case of Anglo-Norman pruffe , proef and Middle French preuf (1530 in Palsgrave in an apparently isolated attestation)), or of neighbouring German and Dutch dialects (in the case of sporadically attested modern regional forms from Wallonia and Lorraine). A number of the major sense developments in English are not shown by the French word. With the senses at branch III. perhaps compare Middle French, French †espreuve (French épreuve ) jewel used to test food for possible poisoning (1360), piece of work produced as a test (early 15th cent. or earlier denoting a piece of work produced by an apprentice in order to be admitted to a guild as an acknowledged master; a1580 denoting a test piece of pottery; a1615 denoting a printing proof), and also Middle Dutch prouve (Dutch proef , proeve ), Middle Low German pröve , prōve , both in senses ‘piece of work produced by a craftsman in order to be admitted to a guild as an acknowledged master’, ‘sample taken from a batch of work for purposes of quality testing’. With to put to (the) proof at sense 7a compare Anglo-Norman mettre al proef to test (early 15th cent. or earlier). With sense 5 compare prove v. 6, 6b. With sense 13 compare prove v. 1h. With sense 15b compare earlier probe n. 7. With sense 16a compare Middle French prouve (1478), Old Occitan proa (13th–14th cent.), and also Old French espreuve (1314 in Mondeville), all in same sense, and earlier probe n. 3, prove n. I. Senses relating to the establishment or demonstration of truth or validity (cf. prove v. II.). 1. the mind > attention and judgement > testing > attestation, witness, evidence > [noun] > evidence given, testimony ?c1225 (?a1200) (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 43 Þet hit beo soð, lou, her þe preoue. c1390 (c1350) Proprium Sanctorum in (1888) 81 110 Of Charite is a pref certeyn Ȝif a Mon..wole preye for þo Þat don to him hate and wo. c1450 (c1386) G. Chaucer Prol. 28 We han noon other preve. 1526 W. Bonde ii. sig. Tiv Very pledges and sure proues of the kynges fauour. 1561 T. Norton tr. J. Calvin i. f. 18 For the plaine proofe hereof is to cleare to be subject to any cauillations at all. 1565 J. Jewel v. 325 This argument is called Petitio Principij, which is, when a thinge is taken to make proufe, that is doubtful, and standeth in question, and ought it selfe to be prooved. 1602 E. Hayes in J. Brereton 16 A very rich mine of Copper is found, whereof I haue seene proofe; and the place described. 1659 J. Owen Div. Origin Authority Script. in (1853) XVI. 319 Light requires neither proof nor testimony for its evidence. 1759 W. Robertson Hist. Scotl. iv, in (1813) I. 318 These suspicions are confirmed by the most direct proof. 1760 J. Wesley 19 June (1931) IV. 98 The thing is beyond dispute, and you may as well demand a scriptural proof that two and two make four. 1832 R. Lander & J. Lander I. vi. 232 As a proof of his esteem and confidence. 1883 W. E. Norris xxxi Which was proof positive that he had thought better of his intention. 1945 R. A. Knox iii. 42 In the long run, you felt, the first three Proofs stood or fell by the value of the causality argument. 1955 D. Eden 152 The trouble was that she hadn't a shred of proof unless she could find the taxi driver who had taken her. 1974 Nov. 904/1 The signature in itself is not proof positive..for any virtuoso violinist of the time..might use such a famous name. 2000 I. Pattison (2001) ii. 70 They thought my conduct conclusive proof that Father had ‘married low’. society > law > administration of justice > court proceedings or procedure > evidence > [noun] > proof c1350 (a1333) William of Shoreham (1902) 61 (MED) For suche laȝe is þat manye beþ, Men oþer wymmen of elde, Þar suche contraȝt y-maked hys, Þat more ryȝt proue ȝelde, And scholle; And ȝet of no lees þane of tuo Nys proue to þe folle. 1425 IV. 274/1 I..have sued..desiryng to have declaration made for my place in yis your hie Court of Parlement..as by diverses Evidenses, Writynges, and Recordes, in yis your present Parlement declared fully in my conseit ys proved, which proves, notwithstondyng, [etc.]. 1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine 284 b/1 Yf the preues of the lignages were fayled. a1525 473 No feynied matiers but such as shall be proved be credible proves in writyng. 1598 F. Hastings 95 For the Inquisition..condemneth without proofe. 1609 J. Skene tr. i. 67b It is in the election of him quha is accused, to vnderly the prufe of the woman, or to purge him be judgement, or ane gude assise of the crime quhereof he is accused. 1609 J. Skene tr. i. 106b Gif the partie defendand that day of prufe, be absent; and the party followand being present with his prufe in his hand and swa the partie defendand be not ready or present, to receiue the prufe against him. 1645 J. Winthrop 2 The Commissioners..thought not fit to proceed against him..till they had collected more legal and convincing proof. a1715 Bp. G. Burnet (1724) I. 600 The proof did not carry it beyond manslaughter. 1722 D. Defoe 295 I had a Crime charg'd on me, the Punishment of which was Death; the Proof so Evident, that there was no Room for me, so much as to plead not guilty. 1768 W. Blackstone III. xxiii. 368 Written proofs, or evidence, are, 1. Records, and 2. Antient deeds of thirty years standing, which prove themselves. 1804 W. Cruise IV. 250 It being in proof that the draft was not completed until six months after instructions had been given for preparing it. 1863 H. Cox i. ix. 172 A statement showing all matters required to be proved, and opposite each proof the name of the witness to prove it. 1883 c. 52. Sched. ii. 7 Every creditor who has lodged a proof shall be entitled to see and examine the proofs of other creditors. 1959 Earl Jowitt & C. Walsh II. 960/1 [Indirect evidence is] proof of collateral circumstances from which a fact in controversy, not directly attested by witnesses or documents, may be inferred. 1985 R. C. A. White ii. v. 87 A witness provides a good written statement of evidence (called a ‘proof’ of evidence) prior to the trial. 2007 (Nexis) 28 Feb. The Court demanded proof that Serbian officials sent him specific ‘instructions’ to commit this act of genocide. the mind > attention and judgement > testing > attestation, witness, evidence > [noun] > a witness, testifier society > law > administration of justice > court proceedings or procedure > evidence > [noun] > a witness c1380 (1879) 1150 (MED) By Mahoun, þat is, my god in pref, ne schal y noȝt be fawe Er y sen him haue mischef. 1425 IV. 289/2 That the same Marchant..bryngen..two prouves of Marchantz. 1449 V. 145/2 Other resonable witnesse and proves sworne. c1485 ( G. Hay (2005) 68 Gif men suld be prufis thame selff. 1572 (1814) III. 72/1 That the disobedient obstinat and relaps persounis..sall not be admittit as preuis witnessis or Assysouris aganis ony professing þe trew Religioun. 1597 A. Montgomerie (ed. 2) 747 For I myself can be ane preif And witness thairintill. 1597 King James VI & I (1924) 55 Who but witches can be prooues, and so witnesses of the doings of witches? 1668 T. Vincent iv. 58 I would have you first to learn the shorter Catechism exactly, with the proofs. 1725 (title) The Shorter Catechism, agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, with the assistance of Commissioners from the Church of Scotland..with proofs from the Scripture. 1729 in A. Law (1965) 81 I prescribe Monday nights a Generall preufe which I take an account of next morning immediately after prayers. 1824 xviii There was a little wee creature here with his mother..that said away at the proofs like an auld man. 1875 W. Alexander 86 The ‘proofs’, which the dominie prided himself on having been the first in our Presbytery to compel his scholars to tackle. 1950 L. J. Saunders iv. 275 The scope and standard of the religious teaching can be suggested by the fact that the senior class (aged 11) committed to memory the whole of the Shorter Catechism and its proofs. the mind > attention and judgement > testing > proof, demonstration > [noun] c1390 in C. Brown (1924) 148 And I sey nay and make a pref. c1430 N. Love (Brasenose e.9) (1908) 280 (MED) And this longe doute..of thomas was..suffrede for oure profiȝt, to the more open proof and certayne of his verray resurreccioun. c1485 ( G. Hay (2005) 68 Gif j faile of my pruf.., the juge may assoilȝe my party. a1525 461 In prove þerof the procession weye on þe South syde of the seid Churche..was where the south baye of the seid Churche ys nowe. 1637 §21 sig. F4v Vpon complaint and proofe made thereof. 1675 R. Vaughan xi. 124 I..made proof of the Proportion between Gold and Silver and the things valued by them. 1718 ii. lvi. 175 They put the King upon the Proof that they had presented such a Petition. 1789 J. Bentham ii. 18 A remote and imperceptible mischief, though not less real, has no effect. Instances in proof of this will occur in numbers in the course of the work. 1820 W. Irving vi. 97 An old gentleman..in the battle of Whiteplains..parried a musket ball with a small sword..; in proof of which, he was ready at any time to show the sword, with the hilt a little bent. 1848 J. Keble 386 The burthen of proof was of course thrown on the heresiarch. 1860 J. Tyndall ii. v. 252 This is all capable of experimental proof. 1953 M. H. Abrams i. 11 The tenet that art is an imitation seemed almost too obvious to need iteration or proof. 1992 30 July 10/5 Persons claiming any relaxation should enclose a copy of necessary documents in proof thereof. 1671 T. Hobbes Considerations upon the Answer 3 My proof is this; That if the Arc on TV, and the Arc RS, and the streight Line CD, be not equal, then [etc.]. 1674 J. Mayne 87 The Proof is easie: First, if a be = 4, 2 aa is = +32, and 6a is =+24, to which +8 being added, the Sum is +32 which was to be proved. 1780 J. Bonnycastle (ed. 2) 45 The method of proof is by the rule of three direct. 1878 VIII. 503/1 Cauchy's theorem contains really the proof of the fundamental theorem that a numerical equation of the nth order..has precisely n roots. 1940 E. T. Bell xviii. 364 Stokes' theorem, its proof, and its generalizations have developed into a thriving industry of modern analysis. 2004 M. Potter i. 18 It will remain unclear why the fact that a proof can be formalized should be regarded as a criterion of its correctness. society > law > administration of justice > court proceedings or procedure > evidence > [noun] > proof 1722 W. Forbes I. iv. 230 Where Facts pleaded are not instantly verified, the Lord Ordinary admits the same to Proof; and determines the Manner of Proof. a1832 A. Polson Eng. Law in (1845) II. 853/1 The proof is taken in the presence of a commissioner appointed by the Lord Ordinary, who examines the witnesses, commits their depositions to writing, and reports the whole, either to the Lord Ordinary or to the court, according to his directions. 1838 W. Bell 373 The duties of commissioners in taking proofs, under authority of the Court of Session, are pointed out by the acts of Sederunt 11th March 1800, and 22d June 1809. 1879 Æ. J. G. Mackay II. 10 Under the existing practice a certain discretion is exercised by the Court in determining what causes are..fitted for proof before a judge and not by jury trial. 1890 G. Watson (ed. 7) 615/1 By §4 of the Evidence Act, 1866, proof may be taken before the Lord Ordinary, without jury, in any cause, ‘if both parties consent thereto, or if special cause be shown’. 1908 14 Mar. 15 958/1 The Lord Ordinary held that the case was one for proof not jury trial. 1931 XI. 576 A further curtailment of jury trial arises from the provisions of the Evidence (Scotland) Act, 1866, by which..the Lord Ordinary may order proof instead of jury trial. 1995 2 Feb. 42/6 Proof before answer of the parties' averments relative to fraudulent or negligent misrepresentation would be allowed. II. Senses relating to the trying or testing of something (cf. prove v. I.). 5. the world > existence and causation > causation > effect, result, or consequence > [noun] the world > existence and causation > causation > effect, result, or consequence > result [verb (intransitive)] > turn out c1330 (?c1300) (Auch.) 4030 (MED) Þe king Yuor hadde a þef, God him ȝeue euel pref. a1400 (a1325) (Vesp.) 6865 Thoru proue [a1400 Gött. prof; a1400 Trin. Cambr. pref] o seluen dede. c1450 How Good Man taught his Son (Lamb.) 62 in (1889) 2 38 (MED) And flee al letcherie in wil and dede, Lest þou come to yvel preef. 1490 W. Caxton tr. (1885) vii. 161 Some of you speketh now hye, that whan the dede shall come to preeff, he shall be full lowe. 1524 R. Copland tr. J. de Bourbon Syege Cyte of Rodes in sig. Cvj The moost parte of ye sayd mynes came to no profe though they put fyre in them. 1585 Abp. E. Sandys xv. 267 The timeliest fruite often commeth to least proofe. 1612 F. Bacon (new ed.) 31 The proofe is best, when men keepe theire authority towards their children, but not their purse. 1685 C. Cotton tr. M. de Montaigne I. lvii. 636 I believe, our Souls are Adult at Twenty, such as they are ever like to be... A Soul that has not by that time given evident earnest of its Force and Vertue, will never after come to proof. the world > health and disease > [noun] > good health > thriving the world > action or operation > prosperity > success > [noun] the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > [noun] 1574 in (1853) Introd. p. xxxvi I thynk there is much proff in hym as in my yonge gelding. 1616 G. Markham tr. C. Estienne et al. (rev. ed.) i. xxiv. 105 When you haue fed your Swine to his full proofe. 1725 R. Bradley at Sainfoin This sort of Grass has obtain'd the Preference above Clover-Grass in England, as continuing longer in Proof than it. 1854 15 ii. 404 This is not found to deteriorate their bulk, or the ‘proof’ or quality of keeping. 1862 Apr. 287 Sainfoin..the aftermath is invaluable for securing the high and rapid proof of lambs. 1893 G. E. Dartnell & E. H. Goddard Proof, of manure, hay, &c., the strength or goodness... A thriving tree is said to be in ‘good proof’. 1903 C. V. Goddard in IV. 629/2 [Dorset] There was such proof in't. the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > knowledge, what is known > experience > [noun] a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 413 (MED) The poete seiþ a sawe of preef, ‘Þe foot man lereþ synge to fore þe þeef.’ [L. Et, ut dixit Satiricus, Cantat viator vacuus Coram latrone.] a1400 (a1325) (Vesp.) 20005 (MED) Þe apostels..did þam-seluen al to proue O ded for þair lauerd be-houe. c1475 (c1399) (Cambr. Ll.4.14) (1936) Prol. 17 (MED) It passid my parceit and my preifis also, How so wondirffull werkis wolde haue an ende. c1540 (?a1400) 5525 Epistaphus, to preue, was his pure nome. 1544 R. Tracy sig. Bviij Of whom they haue proue & sure knowleage. 1590 E. Spenser i. viii. sig. H4 Good growes of euils priefe. 1590 E. Spenser ii. i. sig. N5v Tell, what fatall priefe Hath with so huge misfortune you opprest. 1613 S. Purchas iv. vii. 330 A fountaine..of Tarre, whereof we had good vse and proofe in our ship. 7. the world > action or operation > endeavour > trial or experiment > trial, test, or testing > [noun] c1390 G. Chaucer 75 Thy rekenynges..were nat honeste, if it cam to preef. c1395 G. Chaucer 787 This markys yet his wif to tempte moore To the outreste preue [v.rr. prevey, priue, proef, preef] of hir corage. ?c1450 (?a1400) J. Wyclif (1880) 384 We mot take hede to þe rewle of prefe þat fayliþ not: ‘..by her werkis ȝe schul knowe hem’. ?a1500 in T. Wright & J. O. Halliwell (1845) I. 270 (MED) A place of proff for man to knowe bothe frend and foo; Sum hold abacke, sum nott att home. 1523 J. Fitzherbert xi. f. 13v That there may be made due proues without fauoure, bribery, or extorcyon. 1683 J. Moxon II. 142 Without several Proofs and Tryings, [the mould] cannot be expected to be perfectly true. 1686 T. D'Urfey ii.i. 13 Your Merit receives no damage Sir by your Modesty; and your Courage shall be put to the proof suddenly. 1713 35 The Farmer himself should also cast all his Stacks to the Proof. 1775 B. Franklin §65 724 Does he insult any one of them with Impunity? Has he, or will he put their Spirit to the Proof? 1805 R. Southey i. vi. 68 If thy heart Be hardened to the proof, come when thou wilt! 1842 Ld. Tennyson Locksley Hall in (new ed.) II. 100 Drug thy memories, lest thou learn it, lest thy heart be put to proof. 1861 W. Fairbairn 150 Some large pump-rods..were required to stand a proof of 120,000 lbs. per square inch. 1892 A. Conan Doyle viii. 209 Having once made up my mind, you know the steps which I took in order to put the matter to the proof. 1926 G. B. Shaw tr. S. Trebitsch Jitta's Atonement iii, in iii. 78 When you were..put to the proof..you behaved very sensibly. 1972 29 Feb. 8 The plaintiffs were put to strict proof that the ship was lost as a result of the perils of the seas. 2004 (Nexis) 8 July 25 The truth, strength or quality of the sentencing enhancements have not been put to the proof. the world > relative properties > number > mathematics > [noun] > mathematical enquiry > proposition > proving or checking > operation for c1450 Art Nombryng in R. Steele (1922) 38 The subtraccioun is none other but a prouffe of the addicioun. 1594 T. Blundeville i. iii. f. 4v In making which proofe or triall you cannot lightly erre. 1704 J. Harris I. at Multiplication The Proof of Multiplication can only certainly be effected by Division. 1827 O. Gregory (ed. 9) I. 40 The method of Proof, and the reason of the Rule, are the same as in Simple Multiplication. 1947 37 51/2 It is interesting to note that no mention is made of multiplication as a proof of division, although division is suggested as a proof of multiplication. the world > action or operation > endeavour > [noun] > an attempt ?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng (Petyt) ii. 341 (MED) Noblie regned he here, bi profe & gode assaies. c1422 T. Hoccleve Tale of Jerelaus (Durh.) l. 76 in (1970) i. 142 To brynge it aboute he faste wroghte; Al-thogh he faillid at preef and assay. c1450 (Sloane 2464) 1632 (MED) Set in a preff in thy prudent avys To ete and drynke by attemperaunce. 1575 T. Churchyard f. 98 v Yet diuers proues, wear maed the breatch to vew, And some wear slayn, that dyd assayl the saem. 1629 T. Hobbes tr. Thucydides ii. 130 They thought this accident (especially being their first proofe by sea) very much against reason. 9. the world > action or operation > safety > [noun] > safety or invulnerability the world > action or operation > endeavour > trial or experiment > trial, test, or testing > [noun] > condition of having been tested the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > greatly or very much [phrase] > in or to the greatest degree c1485 ( G. Hay (2005) 79 The traist yat he has jn his gude armouris, makis him hardy.., ffor thai ar of proue. 1567 A. Golding tr. Ovid (new ed.) v. line 752 Abrode Queene Progue trots, disguisde like Bacchus other froes, and armed to the proofe. 1590 J. Smythe 14 Manie Captaines and Officers of footmen were armed at the proofe of the Harquebuze. 1590 E. Spenser i. x. sig. I8v Salues and med'cines, which had passing prief. c1592 sig. D2 Should they haue profered it? Her chaste minde hath proofe enough to preuent it. 1602 J. Marston iii. sig. E2 He..hath a battalion Royal, armour of proofe, huge troups of barbed steeds. a1625 J. Fletcher (1652) iii. i. 35 We must be patient; I am vext to the proof too. 1654 J. Trapp xi. 2 The privie armour of proof, that the Saints have about their breasts. 1678 J. Bunyan 173 I was cloathed with Armour of proof . View more context for this quotation ?a1700 50 (Jam.) Knowing he had proof of lead, [he] shot him with a silver button. 1833 W. F. Tolmie 2 May (1963) 166 A heavy shower..came on..but my tartan cloak was armour of proof & I thanked my stars that I had got a cloak instead of a heavy great coat. 1843 C. Dickens (1844) i. 1 It is further recorded of them [sc. the Chuzzlewits], that being clad from head to heel in steel of proof, they did on many occasions lead their leather-jerkined soldiers to the death, with invincible courage. 1871 F. T. Palgrave 102 Nor whether his shield be of proof. 1902 J. Payne II. 86 He armeth him well..In armour of proof of Milan mail. 1943 J. D. Duff tr. S. Aksakov 82 From that day the helpless child wore armour of proof against the increasing exasperation of her step-mother:..whatever was inflicted upon her, she bore. society > armed hostility > military equipment > armour > [noun] society > armed hostility > military equipment > armour > [noun] > armour of tested resistance 1583 in C. L. Kingsford (1925) I. 296 Sixe blacke courselettes of proofe with tades and gauntletes. a1625 J. Fletcher Chances i. x, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher (1647) sig. Aaa3/2 Ye clap on proof upon me. a1625 J. Fletcher Humorous Lieut. ii. iii, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher (1647) sig. Qqq4/2 She is..A delicate, and knowes it; And out of that proofe armes her selfe. 1637 S. Rutherford (1863) I. cxliii. 339 The love of Christ hath a corslet of proof on it and arrows will not draw blood of it. 1792 ‘Kentish Bowman’ 54 Their breasts are clad with proof against thine arrows points. 1819 W. Scott II. xiii. 230 Thou shalt sleep as safe in thy cell as snail within his shell of proof. 1956 W. S. Churchill I. ii. i. 126 They..were clad in proof, but..they cast aside their ring-mail. the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > tailoring or making clothes > making headgear > [noun] > hat-making > processes involved in 1901 15 Jan. 6/3 The bursting of a stove in what is called the proof shop of the works, where hats are dried after proof. 10. the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > [noun] > intoxicating element in drink > standard of strength 1612 T. Dekker sig. L4 Ale-of-proofe..causing them to haue Nase Nabs (drunken Coxecombes). 1705 tr. W. Bosman xx. 403 I have seen some of our Men give them Brandy half lengthened out with Water; and for Proof [Du. proef]..there was a little Spanish Soap clapt into it, and the Scum of the Soap passed on them for the Proof [Du. proef]. 1711 No. 4790/4 Pipes of French Brandy, full Proof. 1725 No. 6437/1 Brandy or Spirits above Proof. 1748 H. Ellis 175 All the Liquors under the Proof of common Spirits, freeze to a State perfectly solid. 1826 in W. Hone (1827) II. 862 The bar was crowded with applicants for ‘full proof’, and ‘the best cordials’. 1875 R. Hunt & F. W. Rudler (ed. 7) I. 16 Acid which contains 40 per cent. of real acetic acid, is in the language of the Revenue, 35 per cent. over proof. 1942 H. W. Von Loesecke xii. 417 [In the U.S.] a whisky containing 50 per cent alcohol by volume is 100-proof... This is not true for the British Empire. There 100 proof would be 87.6 per cent proof. 1958 10 Nov. 124/1 (advt.) Always ready to serve. Manhattans—65 proof. 1977 Nov. 160/2 You might also like to find out how the temperature of an Irish coffee depends on the proof of the whiskey. 1988 H. A. Klein xliv. 567 This gave a reading of 0 degree Sikes and indicated the liquor to be 66.7 over proof. 2005 Oct. 137 Barbancourt white, from Haiti, is stingingly alcoholic (it is bottled at 86 proof, whereas most rums are bottled at 80 proof). 1920 28 Apr. 23 (advt.) 100% proof laughs! 100% proof music! Dull moments less than one-half of one percent. 1963 L. Hughes Let. 6 Oct. in L. Hughes & C. Van Vechten (2001) 322 The singing is 110 proof, with a new gospel singer named Dorothy Drake who bids fair to raise the roof. 1989 Sept. 96/1 Here is the..tough guy that Willis can make likeable in this 100% proof muscular thriller that he fronts but never dominates. 1991 (Nexis) 8 Feb. d10 It's 100-proof nostalgia for a time when America knew right from wrong and Americans believed..good people triumphed. 11. society > armed hostility > military equipment > production and development of arms > [noun] > manufacture of firearms and ammunition > testing 1669 S. Sturmy v. xii. 64 What Powder is allowed for Proof, and what for Action of each Piece. 1746 tr. G. Le Blond xv. 104 There have been different inventions proposed..for the proof of powder, that is, to ascertain its goodness. 1797 XV. 589/1 Proof of Powder, is in order to try its goodness and strength. 1859 F. A. Griffiths (1862) 57 All Ordnance..are subject to the Water proof. This is done by means of a forcing pump. 1885 at Blomefield, Sir Thomas Captain Blomefield, in the very first year of his office, condemned no fewer than 496 pieces of ordnance in proof. 1920 c. 43 §14 Carrying firearms to or from any such proof house..for the purposes of proof or being removed therefrom after proof. 1932 G. Burrard III. xv. 312 Previous to 1925 all ordinary sporting guns of British manufacture were submitted to three different types of Proof; namely, Provisional Proof, Definitive Proof, and Nitro Proof. 2004 Mar. (Start Shooting! Suppl.) 15/3 Barrels..are tested in their country of origin by subjecting them to a test charge far in excess of the pressures they will be expected to withstand in normal use. If the gun passes ‘proof’ the barrels are stamped accordingly before the gun is offered for sale. society > armed hostility > military equipment > production and development of arms > [noun] > manufacture of firearms and ammunition > testing > place for testing 1761 Chron. 146/1 At a proof at Woolwich warren, a smoke-ball burst. 1883 6 Apr. 7/1 The box..proved, on investigation, to contain about 200 lb. of nitroglycerine... A sample was kept, while the bulk was taken to one of the ‘proofs’ on the marshes. 1718 J. Quincy 362/1 Put all these together into Cong. iii. of Proof Sugar-Spirit, and let them stand a week or two, stirring the ingredients from time to time. 1753 Suppl. Proof, in the sugar trade, a term used by the refiners of sugar for the proper state of the dissolved sugar when it should be set to harden. 1865 Mar. 450/1 The reduction goes on until, finally, when the sirup is ready for ‘striking’, the temperature is the lowest at which proof-sugar will boil. the world > food and drink > food > food manufacture and preparation > preparation for table or cooking > preparation of bread > [noun] > proving 1903 R. Kipling 23 There is no proof in the bread we eat or rest in the toil we ply. 1918 22 Nov. 504/1 Such doughs are ‘ripe’ for the oven. The baker says their ‘proof’ is complete. 1961 5 Feb. 30/4 You knead it [sc. the dough] again, but this time for a few minutes only—just to ‘knock out the proof’, as the bakers say. 1997 June 19/2 Using the system, the bakery was able to examine the relative influence of nine potential variables: resting time; mixing speed; mixing time; dough temperature; proof time; proof temperature; [etc.]. 1952 L. O. Gilmore xxi. 433 All daughters calving in the herds under test must appear in the proof if adequate time has elapsed for their lactation to be compared. 1985 68 1233 Correlation between the sum of 3 trimester multiple trait proofs and proof for milk yield for 270 days of lactation from single trait analysis was 0.99. 2004 (Nexis) 24 May 24 The bull's proof contains 347 United Kingdom daughters and the latest evaluation run offers improvements in milk production, components, somatic cell count, locomotion score, temperament and milking speed. III. Senses denoting something produced as a test, or which is a means of or instrument for testing. 15. society > trade and finance > money > coining > [noun] > coin struck to test die society > trade and finance > money > coining > [noun] > coin struck as specimen 1551 25 Sept. VI His matis plesure is to have also ij othr coynes..one of..vs and one othr of ijs vjd, of the which coynes his matie wo[ld] ye shuld..coyne..a small nomber to see a prooffe thereof. 1551 (P.R.O.:SP10/13) 25 Sept. f. 94 And yor othr..coynes..which ye made for prooffes we shall..delyver to yow at or next comming thithr. 1763 H. Walpole III. ii. 95 On the proofs were the king's and queen's heads on different sides, with a rose, a ship, &c. but in 1694 it was resolved, that the heads should be coupled, and Britannia be on the reverse. a1773 T. Snelling View Pattern Pieces 44 in (1774) We have many instances of proofs being struck upon pieces of metal very different in weight, from what they were to be of when made current. 1889 J. Atkins 5 Proofs exist of both these pieces. 1893 7 Mar. 16 English proofs and patterns, including the Dutch crown of Oliver Cromwell. 1901 4 Nov. 5/1 A limited number were issued to certain collectors with unmilled edges—these coins being called ‘proofs’—a course which was followed in the Jubilee issue. 1969 21 July p. v/4 Proofs (special coins struck from highly polished dies mainly for collectors) have been issued for this denomination. 1994 May 32 The 1927 [threepence] was only struck in proof and less than 16,000 were issued. society > communication > printing > printed matter > [noun] > proof 1602 W. Watson 345 I was not present..: nor had I the sight of one proofe vntill the whole booke was out in print. 1612 T. James (new ed.) iii. 24 There was no sheete printed off, before either the proofe, or the reuize (as they call it) was brought vnto him. 1655 tr. C. Sorel x. 24 We did all go to the Printers house, where we did find him correcting Proofs. 1753 S. Richardson VI. 417 He had hardly..composed any other Copy but first proofs, revises, &c., clandestinely obtained from England. 1755 J. Smith 271 We deliver them to the Pressmen to pull a Proof of them. 1843 C. Dickens (1844) xvi. 197 Crumpled fragments, both in proof and manuscript. 1878 T. H. Huxley (ed. 2) Pref. 9 I have carefully revised the proofs of every chapter. 1901 at Brown, Ford Madox Two articles..were seen in proof and approved by Madox Brown. 1915 W. S. Maugham lxxxiii. 436 His proofs were corrected; and the volume was to come out among the publications of the early spring. 1960 S. Unwin i. x. 144 The page proofs were complete and we were ready to go to press. 1975 D. Davin i. 3 A few stories of mine had been pubished, my first novel was in proof and I was writing another. 2001 21 July (Saturday section) 7/6 If an editor, looking at a plan or proof of a page says, ‘a bit texty’ it is criticism not praise. society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > printmaking > engraving > [noun] > proof or state 1663 W. Dugdale Let. 4 Feb. in (1851) I. I have, hereinclosed, sent you a proof of the plate for your worthy fathers picture [sc. Hollar's engraving of the portrait of Sir Randolph Crew]. 1758 R. Dossie II. 206 [Of Engraving] By a proof is understood, the first, second, and third sheets, that are printed off from a new plate. 1789 J. Edwards 14 Monte Parnasso, from Raphael, proof before the letter. 1797 XV. 590/1 Proofs of Prints were anciently a few impressions taken off in the course of an engraver's process,..and when they were complete. 1807 T. Young I. xi. 119 The lights are less clear in the later impressions than in the proofs. 1854 ‘C. Bede’ (ed. 2) vii. 65 The panels were covered with the choicest engravings (all proofs-before-letters). 1860 10 Feb. 12 Christ Weeping over Jerusalem, lettered proof. 1890 26 Apr. 3/1 An artist's proof..originally meant that proof of an engraving which was sent to the artist for approval and remarks. But the term..is now applied to a certain number of early impressions carefully made, and signed by the artist. 1903 XIV. 566/2 Proofs made from the unlettered plate are called generally proofs before the letter or proofs before any letter. 1965 C. Zigrosser & C. M. Gaehde 15 If there is no indication that it is a reproduction, it might easily be mistaken for a signed proof—that is to say, an original print by him. 1971 11 609 (caption) [Blake's] Jerusalem, Frontispiece—Lettered proof in the collection of Geoffrey Keynes. 1985 R. Terdiman ii. 183 Production was for some reason arrested at the stage of proofs ‘before the letter’. 1992 Jan. 87/2 (advt.) The edition is limited to 350 prints; the 35 artist's proofs are $110 each; and the 25 pencil remarques are $135 each. 2004 Y. Peyré & H. G. Fletcher 61 A suite of lithographs by Maurice Denis, proof before letters, without the text. society > leisure > the arts > visual arts > photography > a photograph > [noun] > picture produced from negative > first or trial print 1855 T. F. Hardwich v. 50 It is necessary to remove the unaltered Chloride or Iodide of Silver which surrounds the image, in order to render the proof permanent. 1891 R. Routledge (ed. 8) 511 The comparative cheapness and convenience of Talbot's process, and especially the facilities which it afforded for the multiplication of proofs, gave an immense impulse to photographic art. 1948 C. Abel xxxix. 357 Ownership of the proofs submitted by a portrait photographer to a customer has long been a matter of argument in the profession. 1985 M. Binchy i. 20 Remind them gently that there's no need to buy, the proofs will be available for inspection in twenty-four hours. †16. An instrument, vessel, etc., used in testing or examining something. the world > health and disease > healing > medical appliances or equipment > surgical instruments > [noun] > probe or sound 1611 R. Cotgrave Curette, a Chirurgions Proofe, or Probe; an instrument wherewith he sounds the bladder [etc.]. 1656 T. Blount Probe or Proof (the French call it curette) a Chyrurgeons Instrument, wherewith he tries the depth of wounds [etc.]. the world > matter > chemistry > equipment or apparatus > [noun] > general vessels > glass > test-tubes 1791 (Royal Soc.) 80 397 A portion of the cancerous virus, diffused through distilled water, was introduced into a small proof. 1828 7 June 292/1 Here are some little phials, called in the glass~houses proofs. 1860 M. Faraday 177 Thick glass vessels..called Proofs or Bologna phials. society > armed hostility > military equipment > production and development of arms > [noun] > manufacture of firearms and ammunition > testing > testing instruments > apparatus for testing gunpowder 1800 (Royal Soc.) 90 207 A common gunpowder proof, capable of containing eleven grains of fine gunpowder, was filled with it, and fired in the usual way. 1807 T. Young I. xii. 134 The comparative force of different kinds of gunpowder is determined by an eprouvette, or powder proof: the effect is measured by the angular motion of a little wheel, a projecting part of which is impelled by the explosion of a small quantity of the powder, while the friction of the spring or a weight creates a resistance which may be varied if it be required. society > communication > printing > preparatory processes > composing > [noun] > standard of line length 1683 J. Moxon II. 144 He sets up his Prooves in the Composing-stick. society > communication > book > leaves or pages of book > [noun] > leaf > uncut edge 1890 J. W. Zaehnsdorf (ed. 2) 57 A few leaves should always be left not cut with the plough, to show that the book has not been cut down. These few leaves are called proof, and are always a mark of careful work. 1908 A. W. Pollard (O.E.D. Archive) Our binder's head man tells me that when I write ‘not to be cropped’ he translates it to the men under him as ‘leave proof’. 1946 E. Diehl ii. vii. 91 A matter that cannot be held too sacred, however, is cutting the edges of a book so that plenty of ‘proof’ is left. Compounds C1. a. General attributive and objective, with sense ‘of or relating to proof; that proves, establishes, tests, or demonstrates something’. 1786 C. Hutton 189 It is adviseable to have some high object or two, which can be seen from the most part of the ground, accurately laid down on the paper from the beginning of the survey, to serve continually as proof objects. 1837 C. R. Goring & A. Pritchard 93 Directions..for the management of proof-objects in the Amician catadioptric engiscope. 2000 H. G. Snyder v. 150 The..pattern has a semantic value in terms of its content..; but we may also discern a symbolic value as a ‘proof object’: the proof is discrete, compact, reducible to a single column of text. ‘here it is, on a single sheet.’ 1744 R. North & M. North 117 They fell to mapping the Streets... But this Work lying a little neglected, it hath so happened, that as well the Proof Papers, as the Map itself, were all taken away. 1759 H. Walpole Let. 17 Nov. in (1941) IX. 259 You shall see the documents, as it is the fashion to call proof-papers. 1872 C. A. Edmonds 541 Mr. Cummings and myself came here to the office with them, and with those proof papers,—the witness papers,—and left them with the Land Commissioner. 1999 Parental Rights? in alt.support.single-parents (Usenet newsgroup) 28 June Even though he [sc. the child's father] had never seen her or been in her life, if he ever came up to the school..and showed the paternal proof papers,..he could take her at anytime. 1793 H. Marsh tr. J. D. Michaelis I. 266 It is true that the number of proof passages, in support of certain doctrines, has been diminished by our knowledge of the various readings. 1838 July 474 The proof passage cited in the margin is Acts 16:4. 1895 S. D. F. Salmond iv. iii. 456 Taken as one of the primary proof-passages for the dogma of the Descent to Hell. 1920 37 48 It is altogether probable that many of these proof-passages had already been in use in the Jewish synagogue. 1986 55 209 Romans 12:6, according to the tenets of the Wauwatosa Theology, was not a proof-passage for the dogmatical premise of the analogy of faith. 1816 M. Keating I. 11 (note) This place is a residue of a wreck of nature; it is a proof-patch of former level. 1908 at Proof sb. Proof-producing. 2002 S. Creaven in A. Brown et al. 141 For these reasons Engels argues against using the ‘negation of the negation’ concept as ‘a mere proof producing statement’, as a substitute for empirical study. 1683 J. Pettus tr. L. Ercker i. iv. 15 in i You must..have a Frame, in which you may beat [perh. read heat] the Proof-Tests and Crucibles. 1852 T. J. Vaiden 60 All the balance is but as the proof test of its character, triumph and glory. 1995 Sept. 418/1 The Pont de Normandie [bridge] was subjected to a traditional proof-test by having four lanes occupied by 80 fully loaded trucks..so engineers could observe the bridge-deck deflection. 1896 12 Apr. 5 A ticket that was drawn up, time tried and proof tested by the corporation attorneys. 1951 30 Jan. 5/3 Their major purpose..is to proof-test some slide-rule work being done by nuclear physicists and weapons experts. 1995 Sept. 418/1 Before the computer, completed structures were customarily proof-tested with real loads to observe load-deflection behavior, which was checked against design calculations. b. (In sense 11.) 1840 4 Sept. 5 On Friday last a party of the Royal Artillery..proceeded to the proof butt in the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich..for the purpose of trying a plan..for discharging large pieces of ordnance with a hammer and detonating powder. 1866 Sept. 213/2 Last August four Palliser guns were tested with perfect success at the proof butt in the Royal Arsenal at Woolwch. 1907 3 Jan. 7/1 A serious accident..at the proof butts on Plumstead Marshes. 2002 (Nexis) 19 Oct. 16 The tests were made in the naval proof butts at Portsmouth. 1712 19 A Proof-Lye is like a Proof-Charge for a Piece of Ordnance, to try a Standard-Credulity. 1866 Sept. 143/3 It..was subjected to proof charges with the sediment of four hundred charges in it. 1895 27 Sept. 5 One man can open the breech [of a gun] in about six seconds even after firing proof charges. 1962 J. S. Hatcher (ed. 3) viii. 198 Each finished rifle was given one high pressure proof charge. 1997 Blackpowder-Antique DB Shotgun in rec.guns (Usenet newsgroup) 5 Apr. If it [sc. an antique shotgun] looks OK then give it a good proof charge and use the old tire routine. Then if it holds together always load it light. 1875 17 Nov. 5/6 It was considered necessary to attach in the rear one of the locomotives..in order to regulate and control the speed in descending the rather steep incline to the proof ground. 1910 20 Nov. 19 While closing the breech during the proof fire of a five-inch 51-caliber gun on the third proof grounds, a premature explosion took place. 2002 (Nexis) 3 Oct. The discovery of mines and unexploded shells in the proof ground of the military base located in Vaziani. society > armed hostility > military equipment > production and development of arms > [noun] > manufacture of firearms and ammunition > testing > place for testing 1712 No. 5026/7 The Place now used for a Proof-house. 1846 W. Greener (new ed.) 203 The Company of Gunmakers of the City of London instituted a proof-house, at which the barrels of respectable makers were all sent to be proved. 1891 29 Apr. 5/6 There are in Europe five ‘proving houses’ or testing places for firearms. Of the Birmingham and London proof houses all people have heard. 1985 20 Mar. 4 The term ‘proof exemption’ indicates that a firearm has been examined at a Proof House, but not proved. 2002 29 Apr. 19/2 The flare pistol can be ‘de-activated’ by a registered firearms dealer and duly certified as such by one of either the London or Birmingham proof houses. society > armed hostility > military equipment > production and development of arms > armourer > [noun] > one who makes artillery or firearms > one in charge of proof house 1674 E. Chamberlayne (ed. 5) ii. 226 To see that all Provisions received, be good and serviceable, and duly proved, with the Assistance of the rest of the Officers, and the Proof Masters, and marked with the Kings Mark, if they ought so to be. 1833 J. Holland II. 95 Government authorised the gun-makers of Birmingham to erect a proof-house of their own, with wardens and a proof-master. 1991 18 Apr. 69 (advt.) All Baikal guns sold by us have undergone careful and exacting proving at either the London or Birmingham Proof House and are all passed and stamped by the proof master. 2003 (Nexis) 20 Oct. 11 Indeed my great grandfather, a former Proof Master, would be turning in his grave. 1756 H. Manningham tr. B. Forest de Bélidor Ess. Theory of Gunpowder in tr. P. Surirey de Saint-Rémy (new ed.) 43 The Gunpowder Manufactured in his Kingdom shall not be esteemed Proof, 'till three Ounces, which is the Charge of a Proof-Mortar,..shall throw a Globe, of 60 Pounds Weight, to the Distance of [etc.]. 1839 A. Ure 626 The result of more than two hundred discharges with the proof-mortar. 1872 H. Barnard 388 Firing different sorts of powder from the proof mortar. c. (In sense 15.) society > trade and finance > money > coining > [noun] > coin struck as specimen 1779 J. Gerard 6 Proof pattern coins and medals, English and Irish.] 1853 4 Apr. 1 Due notice will be given when the proof coins are struck. 1860 Feb. 334/2 We once saw an Egyptian peasant woman who had about half a peck of Roman coins... Some were proof coins. 1949 W. H. Sheldon i. 39 Proof coins were never struck for circulation... Proofs were first used as presentation pieces. 1969 18 Jan. 3/1 The difference between a proof coin and a brilliant uncirculated one is that a proof coin has been specially struck on a highly polished die. 1992 Mar. 303/3 Proof coins of the Philadelphia Mint were available to private collectors several decades prior to 1858. 1762 J. Stewart (front matter) The printers being hurried, have, in altering the types, after correction of the proof copy, misplaced one line. 1806 W. Scott Oct. (1932) I. 327 I would like to see them in the proof copy in case any minute alterations may yet occur to me. 1975 A. Powell ii. 66 He held under his arm what looked like the proof copy of a book. 2004 2 Apr. 29/1 A proof copy of Pound's A Draft of the Cantos 16 to 27 , printed at the Curwen Press in 1928 on the rectos of fifty-five leaves. society > communication > printing > correction > correct [verb (transitive)] > proofs 1803 C. Lamb 20 May (1935) I. 347 I feel myself..accessory to the selection, which I am to proof-correct. 1890 29 Aug. 2/1 To have it written by other people in time for himself to proof-correct it. 1960 G. A. Glaister 447 When proof correcting, the letters ‘w.f.’ are written marginally to draw attention to such faults. 1998 25 Apr. (Features section) She instructs her readers to proof-correct the book: ‘On the last page that final Paradise is wrong, it ought to have a lower-case P.’ society > communication > printing > correction > [noun] > of proofs 1850 W. M. Thackeray Let. June in (1924) iii. 29 Then comes printing and proof correcting & so forth. 1855 H. Martineau (1877) II. 40 I highly enjoyed the proof-correcting. 1978 P. Bowles Let. 12 July in (1994) 483 This could have been taken care of in proof-correcting. 2001 (Nexis) 22 Dec. 10 Despite its longueurs, its occasional sourness (and its abysmal proof-correcting), there is much interesting material in The Beggar's Benison. society > communication > printing > correction > [noun] > of proofs a1820 S. T. Coleridge 30 Mar. (1971) V. 29 The time expended in the transcription, arrangement, and Proof-correction [of those works]. 1876 C. H. Davis 4 The final revision and proof-correction of Chapters XIX to XXV having been entrusted to me by Admiral Davis. 1940 677/2 Proof corrections, additions or emendations to a proof. They should be made in ink, and clearly indicated in the margin. 2003 (Nexis) 5 Sept. 39 In the early 1950s, the house principles were issued in a handy series of guides to preparation of manuscripts and proof correction. 1861 Sept. 432 An accomplished proof-corrector. 1928 L. P. Smith 162 We are becoming more and more the slaves of schoolmasters and proof-correctors. 1932 A. E. Housman 19 June (1971) 322 On p. 32 the proof-corrector has again given directions for making a change which ought not to be made. 2004 (Nexis) 4 Apr. 4 Small of stature and shy by nature, he spent most of his working life as a proof-corrector. 1853 7 Mar. Eastern Type Agency... Rules.., slip galleys, proof galleys..&c.; which we sell at foundery prices. 1896 T. L. De Vinne in (new ed.) II. 407 The long proof-galley of brass. 1994 (Nexis) 18 Oct. Michael O'Mara Books, London publisher of the Diana book, said Voici had ‘elements’ from the book's stolen proof galleys. 1780 F. Blackburne I. 81 Mr. Yeo's proof impressions in wax of coats of arms, and heads of eminent persons, after seals of Thomas Simons. 1842 E. Sargent vii. 82 Through Frank's agency, she procured a little box of printing-ink and some fine paper, and with them took what is called a proof impression of the engraving. 1910 Oct. 93/1 How to distinguish Proof Impressions. 1991 Winter 57 (caption) La Grande Loge..lithograph printed in colours, 1896–7, an extremely rare proof impression, before the numbered edition of 12, inscribed in pencil. 1761 (Soc. Artists Great-Britain) 7 A Fly, painted on an enamel proof-plate. 1783 F. Burney 10 Jan. (1842) II. 233 Mr. Seward has sent me a proof plate..of an extremely fine impression of this dear Doctor [Johnson]. 1845 C. Darwin Let. 10 Feb. in (1987) III. 140 Thanks for the proof sheets; I did, not, however, mean proof-Plates. 1977 7 May 12 A collection of one thousand, five hundred proof plates from drawings by Morris B. Adams. 2004 (Nexis) 28 Apr. 4 One of the earliest pieces is an 1857 proof plate for a note that was issued in 1859 by Mercantile Bank. 1757 10 A whole length of Vanderbosch; proof print. 1794 31 July (advt.) Elegant prints amongst which are a few proof prints of the following public characters, viz. General Washington, [etc]. 1824 C. M. Sedgwick I. vii. 206 The walls decorated with..proof prints of the royal parks and palaces. 1954 11 180 Though this map is known to have been made in 1754, it was considered incomplete at that time and existed only in proof-prints. 1990 22 Sept. 64/1 I did roughly 1000 3½×5in proof prints, and shuffled them around for a long time before I decided to break the exhibition into eight sections. 2005 (Nexis) 2 Feb. 41 A rare and valuable publisher's proof print of a Robert Bateman painting. 1898 Apr. a2 Each proof is..signed by Mr. Cole and by the proof printer. 2003 (Nexis) 6 Jan. (Business Plus section) 3 When I worked there I was a proof printer. society > communication > printing > printer > [noun] > printer of proof impressions 1871 28 Jan. 11 E. Batley deposed that he was a proof puller in the employ of Messrs. Gilbert and Rivington (printers to the Apothecaries' Company). 1973 27 20 My father left Butler and Tanner's in June 1887 and came to the O.U.P. where he worked as a proof puller till 1889. 2003 M. Belson v. 138 There were correction comps, make-up comps, stonehands, maths comps, the storemen, and proof-pullers. society > communication > printing > manner or style of printing > [noun] > taking of proof impression 1866 (Assoc. Master Printers London) (1867) 6 Agreed..That..deductions for proof-pulling and wetting be discontinued. 1893 Jan. 387/2 They would probably have had their proof-pulling overlooked by some steadier youth. 1900 12 Oct. 10/3 Man (young) wanted, in printing office, for proof-pulling. 2003 M. Belson (Gloss.), 348 Proofing press: a hand-operated press that was used only for proof pulling and not for full production. society > trade and finance > money > coining > [noun] > coin struck to test die > set of 1811 9 Feb. 4 Prints and books of prints, among which a fine proof set of the Liber Veritatis. 1860 (U. S. Bureau of Mint) 366 The proof set of these coins contained in this collection were struck at this mint prior to the shipping of the machinery. 1992 Mar. 310/1 The 1991 Jamaica proof set reflects recent changes in Jamaica's coinage. 1887 7 Sept. 6 A [language teaching] scheme had been drawn up, but it had never got beyond the proof stage. 1895 F. M. Ford (1965) 8 You may tell Longmans that W.M.R. had offered to revise my chapters as they go to Press wh. is better than in the proof stage I shd. think. 1979 P. Larkin Let. 14 Dec. in (1992) 611 The published work..is always something of an anticlimax in my experience, and of course contains all the misprints one overlooked at proof stage. 2002 R. Barrass 114 Cross-references must be added at the proof stage unless you are preparing camera-ready copy. 1828 2 June 7 A most choice and beautiful Collection of the Works of Raphael Morghen,..including the whole of his most celebrated works, in the choicest proof state. 1910 Oct. 93/2 To such a man even the names of the various proof states must be a source of bewilderment. 1993 Feb. 82/2 The four proof states..indicate that each plate began with an initial state worked in burin. C2. 1888 268 Proof bar, the loose bar which is thrust through a hole in the trough which contains steel undergoing the process of cementation, and which is removed from time to time [etc.]. 1958 A. D. Merriman 260/1 Proof bar, a bar of material, similar to that being treated, that is included in the work during surface-hardening processes. a1625 J. Fletcher Pilgrim ii. ii, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher (1647) sig. Ggggg2v/2 All your glories in the full Meridian, The Kings proof-favour buckled on your body. 1829 27 Apr. 3 An Account of the Number of Imperial Proof Gallons of Rum, Brandy, Geneva, and all other Foreign Spirits..that pay Duty. 1889 256 Inspectors and Gaugers shall make a detailed return..of each lot inspected, showing..the gauge, wantage, proof, and number of proof gallons. 1907 18 Feb. 11/1 The total consumption of spirits in the United Kingdom during the past year amounted to 39,302,480 proof gallons. 1947 1 159 An increase in industrial alcohol production in the United States from 299 million proof gallons in 1941 to 988 million in 1944. 2004 (Nexis) 6 July 12 The tax levels on whisky had trebled in 1793 and trebled again in 1797. By 1800 the official rate was [£]108 per proof gallon. the world > matter > chemistry > equipment or apparatus > [noun] > general vessels > glass > others 1765 H. Jackson 73 We likewise advise them to a serious Perusal of our new-invented Proof-glasses. 1848 18 380 With what profound deliberation he drew his proof-glass from the bung-hole of a brandy-pipe. 1986 40 164 He [sc. an 18th-cent. chemist] strongly advocated using a hydrostatic balance and a proof-glass for the more accurate measurement of..cloudiness in fining beer. 1791 J. Boswell anno 1775 I. 459 A few proof leaves in my possession, marked with corrections in his own hand-writing. 1839 A. Ure 1017 [Pottery] The copper-plate is now passed through the engraver's cylinder press, the proof leaf is lifted off and..[applied] to the surface of the biscuit. 1898 4 Nov. 5 20 manuscript proof leaves, with the autograph of the author, of Thackeray's ‘Roundabout Papers’. 1940 G. J. de Geer (front matter) To my wife,..my indefatigable scientific partner during all expeditions, every kind of field-work and redaction unto the last proof-leaf. society > communication > printing > types, blocks, or plates > relating to type > [noun] > to test accuracy of mould 1683 J. Moxon II. 154 Then he Casts a Proof-Letter or two. 1688 R. Holme iii. iii. 124 Proof Letters, are..Letters by which the Founder or Maker of the Moulds doth justifie his Mould by. And also by them new Fount Letters are tried by setting them together in the composing Stick. the world > matter > physics > mechanics > force > [noun] > pressure > load > specific 1858 W. J. M. Rankine ii. iii. 287 The toughness of the bar, or the extension corresponding to the proof load. 1930 21 Feb. 241/2 This working load is equivalent to one-half the proof load, which again is almost one-half the ultimate strength of the chain. 1991 Sept. 205/1 A new stud concept..is based on an asymmetric stud design and a method for expanding the studs, as well as an optimal proof load. 1734 in E. Howe (1947) 31 If a Form be imposing, and there be a Necessity for the Proof or Revise to be made, the Proof-maker for the Time being to forfeit, if he cap his Balls, and neglect the Proof, having Notice of it, 2d. 1938 E. E. Kohl xii. 207 Several early proof-makers sold their deeded quarters,..miles from a railroad, for $3,000 to $3,700 cash money. 1992 28 Sept. vi. 3/3 (advt.) Web printing company has an opening..for a proof maker. 2002 E. W. Weintraub & E. Gayer in E. W. Weintraub vi. 204 The outward-looking nature of the activity of the proof-maker in attempting to convince another member..of the disciplinary community, that a particular knowledge claim should be accepted into the community's stock of truths. 1749 A. Dunbar 1 The Quantity or Amount of Teinds thereof at a Medium, it is agreed between the Parties upon the Report of one Alves a Proof-man, shall be computed 7 Bolls, 1 Firlot, 1 Peck, [etc.]. 1757 117 For these several Years past, he has been employed in the Island of Westray as a Proof-man, and as such..has Proof-cast the corns of those who employed him. 1813 W. Leslie (new ed.) 180 The quantity of grain is ascertained by the proof-man, a professional character in the country, chosen mutually by the seller and buyer. 1743 2 989 Mr. Richardson pray'd a mandamus to the master and wardens of the company of gun-makers, to cause them to give a proof-mark to J. S. a freeman of the company, without which he cannot sell his guns. 1782 (Royal Soc.) 71 300 If the ribbon is drawn out as far or farther than the proof mark, the powder is as good or better than the standard. 1858 W. Greener 251 On arms of the first and third classes the definitive proof mark and view mark shall be impressed at the breech end of the barrel. 1994 May 12/3 I haven't seen a Santa Barbara action for a good many years... By its proofmarks, yours appears to have a curious combination of pre-1931 as well as post-1931 Spanish Eibar marks, although all seem to indicate that the rifle was properly proofed. 2004 Sept. 80/2 J Purdey & Sons 12-bore self-opening sidelock non-ejector..(pre-1887 proof marks possible replacements by another), spuriously engraved [etc.]. 1683 J. Pettus tr. L. Ercker i. xxiv. 63 in i The silver Touch-Needles (which are also called Proof-Needles). 1727 R. Bradley II. 170 How touch or proof needles for silver are to be made. 1825 ‘J. Nicholson’ 766 Assayers make a comparison upon a touch~stone, between it and certain needles composed of gold and silver,..which are called Proof Needles. 1849 H. M. Noad (ed. 3) 285 Suspending a small proof needle, with a silk fibre, and causing it to oscillate horizontally opposite different points of a magnetic bar placed vertically. 1791 J. Boswell anno 1775 I. 460 How it ended I know not, as it is cut off abruptly at the foot of the last of these proof pages. 1899 10 356 Proof pages of the English translation of Külpe's ‘Introduction to Philosophy’ were used.., the pages averaging about 350 words. 1919 F. Older xviii. 78 I had a proof page of this article printed secretly. 2006 (Nexis) 17 Mar. (Books section) 23 Although we reviewed the book as an unpublished proof-page, the pages were colourful and easily assimilated through clear, spacious design and headed topics. 1594 J. Dickenson sig. C It seemed nature and vertue..had conspired to make her a peerelesse proofe-peece of their vnited perfections. 1780 H. Walpole in J. H. Jesse (1844) IV. 317 Last night I saw a proof-piece of seven-shilling pieces... I know they were not uttered, but could you get me one from the Mint? 1853 A. Ure 725 The fire must be carefully urged from two to four days..a period dependant on the size of the furnace, and which is determined by the examination of the proof pieces, taken out from time to time. 1985 (Nexis) 8 Aug. 9/4 Your coin is silver and worth about $4 or $5 unless it's a proof piece (specially struck, quite brilliant), in which case it would be worth about $50 to $75 if uncirculated. 2002 (Nexis) 3 Nov. d7 A member of the Wedgwood family told me it was a proof piece for a proposed fine line of dinner china. the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > electricity > transmission of electricity, conduction > [noun] > conductor > used in measurement 1836 (Royal Soc.) 126 435 The electricity of the given point he [sc. Coulomb] considered as transferable to a small insulated disc, first applied to the body, and subsequently placed in his balance. The insulated disc has been termed a proof plane. 1919 A. 96 268 In the case of an unlimited sheet of cloud or shower illuminated by the sun, the brightness of the proof-plane, if it faces the source of light, is always constant. 1964 J. F. W. Galyer & C. R. Shotbolt ii. 23 The beam is turned through 90° and directed to the proof-plane C, the lower surface of which is coated with a semi-reflecting film of aluminium. 2001 51–2 105 The contact charge exchange between metals and these polymers were measured using a proof-plane that was connected to the input of the electrometer. 1875 E. H. Knight III. 1808/1 Proof-plug, a plug screwed temporarily into the breech of a gun-barrel to be proved. 2003 Pressure in Mortar in rec.pyrotechnics (Usenet newsgroup) 15 Feb. To generate high pressures for purposes of proof testing shotguns, a ‘proof plug’ weighing several times the normal shot charge is used. society > communication > printing > printing machine or press > [noun] > for taking proofs 1683 J. Moxon II. Dict. 375 Every Printing-House has..a Proof-Press; viz. to make Proves on. 1794 (Univ. Oxf. Clarendon Press) Proof Press in the Composing Room. 1808 C. Stower 370 An empty press, called a proof press, is generally placed [in] some part of the composing room. 1899 J. W. Mackail II. 253 A proof-press and a printing-press were set up there. 1992 M. Margetts 94/3 The letterhead shown on page 97 is printed on a small proof press. a1863 R. Whately (1864) 231 [This] you can prove (to any one who is not proof-proof). 1908 at Proof sb. Proof-sleigh. 1998 D. Penn 30 July (O.E.D. Archive) Proof-sleigh..This was a device used in the proof of artillery barrels from the early 18th century... Barrels were not proved on carriages, relatively expensive and prone to damage. To prevent an unrestrained barrel flying around during proof, they were fixed to simple, heavy sleighs. 2005 D. Clarke 42 (caption) 95–ton railway proof sleigh built by the Royal Carriage Department in 1886. society > communication > printing > printed matter > [noun] > proof 1829 S. T. Coleridge (1971) VI. 823 A proof Slip appertaining to some other Knight of the Press has been sent by mistake. 1883 ‘M. Twain’ (1967) 162 You must glance through all the proof-slips..for..I have added footnotes and other stuff which you have not seen. 1989 R. B. Kielbowicz viii. 152 The Gazette printed proof slips of the telegraphic news and sent them, in lieu of exchanging entire papers, by railway express. 1902 T. O'C. Sloane Proof-sphere, a small sphere, coated with gold-leaf or other conductor, and mounted on an insulated handle. It is used instead of a proof-plane, for testing bodies whose curvature is small. 1842 28 Oct. 8 Building materials, brass and ironmongery,..copper piping, spring steel, iron, proof staff, corn or malt mill, [etc.]. a1877 E. H. Knight II. 1808/1 Proof-staff, a metallic straight edge by which a wooden staff is tested and corrected. 1954 R. Wailes 206 The proof staff is a long narrow cast-iron surface plate mounted in a wooden case with a hinged cover. The usual size is about four feet wide and its purpose is to test the accuracy of the wooden paint staff. 1839 A. Ure 1206 The proof-stick, an ingenious brass rod for taking out a sample of syrup without admitting air. 1886 June 88/1 When the proof stick is run into this tube and turned half-way round, the stopcock is opened and the stick is filled with the liquid. 1987 12 Mar. 3 He and another employee at the Innswood [sugar] factory were putting a proof stick in the vacuum pan when the pan exploded, causing him serious injury. the world > matter > physics > mechanics > force > stress or force exerted and tending to deform > [noun] > other specific types of stress 1858 W. J. M. Rankine ii. iii. 273 Resilience or Spring is the quantity of mechanical work required to produce the proof strain. 1872 J. Anderson 153 After the chains are annealed, they are then subjected to a proof strain, which is the half of the ultimate strength, and double the usual working load, according to size. 2005 47 744 Though no clear yield point can be found for most of the porous coppers, the yield strength with 0.2% proof strain was calculated from experimental curves. the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > [noun] > intoxicating element in drink > standard of strength the world > matter > chemistry > organic chemistry > alcohols > [noun] > standard of strength of distilled alcholic liquors 1743 12 79 If the Compounder was obliged to rectify, or purchase such Spirits as are rectified before he compounds them, and likewise, to use no Feints but what shall be re-drawn to the Proof Strength, as is customarily known among the Trade. 1811 1 311/1 The same process repeated until the ley has acquired proof strength. 1905 29 July 4/5 Spirits, however, are always sold below, and generally considerably below, ‘proof’ strength. 2004 C. P. Shaw (new ed.) 56 The system for measuring spirit strength in Britain changed in 1980 from the older and more complicated Sikes system of measuring proof strength, to the Organization of Legal Metrology, or OIML system. the world > matter > physics > mechanics > force > stress or force exerted and tending to deform > [noun] > other specific types of stress 1862 W. J. M. Rankine ii. i. 226 Resilience, or Spring..is the quantity of mechanical work required to produce the proof-stress on a given piece of material. 1935 Apr. 112/2 By the use of aluminium alloy with a ·1 per cent. proof stress of 17 tons per square inch instead of the 15 tons per square inch alloy now used, the hull weight..could be kept as low as 12½ per cent. of the total weight. 2005 (Nexis) 1 July 26 The proof stress and the tensile strength of the AM50A and AM60B joint are almost at the same level as the base metal. the mind > attention and judgement > testing > attestation, witness, evidence > documentary evidence > [noun] > source of 1801 H. Marsh tr. J. D. Michaelis IV. 420 The one, as well as the other [passage from St John's Gospel], may be used as a proof text in the doctrine of the Trinity. 1874 H. R. Reynolds iv. vi. 262 Modern criticism has submitted the ‘proof-texts’..to stringent examination. 1904 H. A. A. Kennedy vi. 310 Solitary proof-texts have wrought more havoc in theology than all the heresies. 1983 C. Ozick O Spilling Rapture! O Happy Stoup! in (1989) 87 Cott's Niagara-floods of quotations are so many prooftexts of the reach of his desire. 2005 (Nexis) 25 June m6 The question of scriptural ‘proof-texts’ against homosexuality and the subsequent church blessing of same-sex unions have become issues [in the Evangelical Lutheran Church]. 1956 S. Sandmel 25 A more specific grievance was that the Pharisees espoused the non-Biblical doctrine (for which they sought Biblical proof-texts) of resurrection; while the Sadducees rejected both the argument of the proof-texting and of the doctrine. 1979 10 76 References to authority are used according to a method which is essentially proof-texting which bolsters one's own argument with little attention to ‘authority's’ work on its own integrity. 2000 (Nexis) 18 12 Dominus Iesus' ample citations from Vatican II do not represent an exercise in proof-texting, but an exercise of spiritual discernment. the world > relative properties > number > mathematics > [adjective] > characterized by theories of or approaches to the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > mathematical philosophy > [adjective] > of other theories or systems 1940 5 17 It is desirable to establish them as such by purely proof-theoretic methods. 1967 S. C. Kleene 118 The proof-theoretic approach to the predicate calculus. 1991 100 92 The acceptability of proof-theoretic rules for knowledge, and indeed for epistemic operators in general, does not hold out hostages to psychological contingency. the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > mathematical philosophy > [adverb] the world > relative properties > number > mathematics > [adverb] > using specific method or theory 1952 S. C. Kleene xiv. 425 The axioms are ‘consistent’ proof-theoretically. 2002 8 520 It has been very successful in proof-theoretically reducing much of classical mainstream mathematics to a classical arithmetical basis. the world > relative properties > number > mathematics > [noun] > theories or branches of the mind > mental capacity > philosophy > mathematical philosophy > [noun] > doctrines of 1929 H. Weyl in 16 146 The intention of the Hilbert proof theory is to atone..for the continual titanic offenses which mathematics and all mathematicians have committed and will still commit against mind. 1969 10 July 44/2 The analogy he was using was one with proof theory in logic, where from initial axioms and rules of inference you can produce true theorems—rather like doing geometry exercises in school. 2004 M. Potter xi. 189 Of special interest to logicians has been the discovery that transfinite induction can be used in harness with cut elimination in proof theory to demonstrate the consistency of various formal systems. 1805 122 Proof timber, an imaginary timber, expressed by vertical lines in the sheer-draught, similar to the joints of the square timbers, and used nearly forward and aft to prove the fairness of the body. 1822 J. Fincham 16 Should the timbers taken from the draught not be sufficient to prove the body at the extremities, other timbers called proof timbers must be got in forward and aft. 1839 A. Ure 13 An excise duty of 2d. is levied on every gallon of..proof vinegar. 1876 XVI. 359/2 The last is the strongest, containing 5 per cent of real acetic acid..it is called proof vinegar. 1911 XXVII. 96/2 Malt vinegar is sold in four strengths designated 18, 20, 22, 24, the last being ‘proof’ vinegar, containing 6 % of acetic acid and having a specific gravity of 1.019. C3. With of, denoting kinds of proof. 1915 31 Aug. 6/1 All that is now necessary is that proof of purchase be laid before the British Embassy. 1969 2 Feb. (Potomac section) 17 (advt.) Enclosed are..10 fruit symbols with one of the proofs of purchase specified above. Please send me 50¢. 1995 May 19/1 Mail your entry, along with a proof of purchase (UPC code or reasonable hand-drawn facsimile) from a box of Splenda Low Calorie Sweeter product. 1967 22 Jan. m32/3 (advt.) Opportunity to assume some project responsibility in proof of concept type work. 1994 (Nexis) 19 Aug. a4 We built this center as a proof of concept. 2001 Feb. 51/1 Although the GA-200 is a totally new aircraft, some heavily modified Pawnees were used as proof-of-concept aircraft. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2007; most recently modified version published online June 2022). proofadj.adv. Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: proof n. A. adj. 1. the world > action or operation > safety > [adjective] > safe or invulnerable 1583 Edinb. Test. XIII. f. 49, in at Pruf(e Tua corslattis the ane pruif and the vther ane quhyt corslat. 1597 W. Shakespeare ii. i. 115 Looke thou but sweete, And I am proofe against their enmitie. View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) i. iv. 25 Now..fight With hearts more proofe then Shields. View more context for this quotation 1631 T. Heywood iii. sig. G4 With two proofe Targets arm'd. 1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. T. Boccalini i. xxxix. 81 Venice..is fortified, and armed with the proof-Armor of Marishes and Washes. 1667 J. Milton ix. 298 Not incorruptible of Faith, not prooff Against temptation. View more context for this quotation 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Æneis iii, in tr. Virgil 276 The fated Skin is proof to Wounds. 1711 R. Steele No. 41. ⁋5 Proof against the Charms of her Wit and Conversation. 1728 A. Ramsay i A heart..proof a-shot to birth or money. 1786 R. Burns 69 Ne'er a bosom yet was prief Against your arts. 1816 W. Scott III. vi. 120 Though a plain but excellent family-dinner was provided,..and though the Antiquary boasted his best port,..Lord Glenallan was proof to the allurements of both. 1835 E. Bulwer-Lytton III. x. iv. 280 Dearer..than he had ever yet found the proofest steel of Milan. 1871 June 344 Their thick scales..are proof against every missile. 1928 W. Deeping 2 She had one of those ivory skins that are proof against sunburn or worry. 1968 ‘E. McGirr’ ii. 40 This place was more proof than Fort Knox. 2004 H. Strachan xv. 168 On the door a hasp-and-staple locking system which is proof against any hacksaw blade. 1593 T. Nashe f. 19v Had you rested them on the true Rocke, they had beene ruine-proofe: but now the raine will rough-enter through the crannies of theyr wauering. 1602 J. Manningham Oct. (1976) 98 Such a one is clarret proofe, [i.e.] a good wine bibber. 1663 E. Hickeringill Apol. Distressed Innocence in (1709) I. 297 The old Powder-Plotters..are shot-free and Justice-proof by a pious charm. 1709 27 May–1 June You're Impudence-Proof. 1769 J. Wesley (1872) III. 367 I am afraid many of them are sermon-proof. 1824 J. Mackintosh Speech in Commons 15 June in (1846) III. 468 Is he bullet-proof or bayonet-proof? or does he wear a coat of mail? 1850 H. Melville i. 10 King James's cotton-stuffed and dagger-proof doublet. 1876 E. Thorne 115 The neighbouring ground..is cleared of timber, which serves to make a pig-proof bush fence. 1901 7 Jan. 5/1 If the heavy mackintosh overalls were expletive-proof as well as snow-proof it would not be a bad thing. 1903 3 Mar. 5/1 Fire-proof, and burglar-proof, and every other proof, except visitor proof! 1959 12 Jan. 11/4 Porous, crush-proof, stress and tear-resistant and washable. 2005 Oct. 89/1 Use containers with vinegar-proof lids for chutney-making..; if you use ordinary metal lids you'll need to line them to prevent corrosion. the world > food and drink > drink > intoxicating liquor > distilled drink > [adjective] > proof 1691 W. Yworth vi. 81 Distill it into proof Spirit, then add Galanga, Nutmegs, [etc.]. 1709 15–20 Apr. Rectify'd Spirits are Proof. 1863 94 The basis for calculating the amount of license duty..is, the number of barrels or casks..produced by the process of rectification; and not on [sic] the quantity of proof liquor used. 1943 9 Nov. 1/1 The House Ways and Means Committee decided yesterday to increase the liquor tax to $10 per gallon, which would amount to 12.5 cents a drink for proof liquor. †B. adv.the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adverb] > utterly a1625 F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Captaine ii. i, in (1647) sig. Gg2v/1 Such distemper'd spirits Once out of motion, though they be proofe valiant. a1625 J. Fletcher Island Princesse ii. i, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher (1647) sig. Ooo/1 Looks melancholy, Wondrous proof melancholy. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022). proofv.Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymons: proof n.; proof adj. Etymology: Partly < proof n., and partly < proof adj.Compare earlier prove v.; sense 1a could perhaps alternatively be taken as showing a spec. sense development of that verb (compare forms at that entry), although the absence of forms with voiced final consonant in this sense makes this unlikely; with senses 1b and 1c compare earlier prove v. 1d, 1h. With sense 1d compare earlier proofread v. With sense 2 compare earlier waterproof v., which probably provided the model both for the simplex use (as e.g. in quots. 1879 at sense 2, 1938 at sense 2, etc.) and for the numerous later formations with a modifying word specifying the thing resisted (e.g. fireproof v., mothproof v., rustproof v., weatherproof (see weatherproof adj. and n.). It is unclear to what extent such uses with a modifying word genuinely show new formations in the verb, and to what extent they simply show conversions of the corresponding adjectives (compare proof adj. 1b). 1. To submit to proof, or to a proof; to prove, test, or verify. c1699 W. Gordon They..forced them [sc. the tenants] to carry away..both Corn and Fodder, without proofing the same, or telling the Threeves thereof. 1756 41 Method of proofing Tobacco at Exportation is, to open a Hogshead of every five, and in case the Tobacco in such Hogsheads is found sufficient, then, allow the whole to be shipped. 1835 H. Miller xi. 185 He was engaged in what is termed proofing the stacks of a cornyard. the world > food and drink > food > food manufacture and preparation > preparation for table or cooking > preparation of bread > prepare bread [verb (transitive)] > prove 1875 III. 253/2 After this laborious process the finished dough is covered over for some time..during which fermentation again begins, and the mass is ‘proofed’. 1972 Autumn 45 There were three ovens, one above the other, in our bakehouse. The bottom one was small and used only for proofing buns and certain cakes. 1987 6 July 34/2 A bread line machine..will mix, divide, round, proof, and form dough that can then be reproofed if necessary and baked. 2006 (Nexis) 21 Apr. (Dining Out section) 14 Each loaf is hand-formed from the finest all-natural ingredients,..carefully proofed, then baked in imported ovens. society > communication > printing > manner or style of printing > style of printing [verb (transitive)] > take proof impression 1884 3 Dec. 15/2 The outcome is a masterpiece of etching, which is being ‘proofed’. 1926 W. S. Sparrow ii. vi. 195 This was written on July 3rd, 1870, about four years before his ‘Complete Angler’ was proofed. 1977 R. Vicary ii. 39 When drawing plates for a colour print, it is normal practice to proof each plate in colour before proceeding with the drawing on the next plate. 1987 Feb. 67/2 The head of King Luis of Portugal appears inside a frame inscribed ‘Experimental Postage Three Pence’, and was used for proofing colours for the Italian Series. 2003 (Nexis) 28 Dec. (News section) 12 That's where he..wrote notes, proofed text, checked journal transcriptions and indexed. society > communication > printing > correction > correct [verb (transitive)] > proofs 1930 2 694 Note 37 on page 123 was not properly proofed. 1957 L. Durrell Let. 21 Nov. in I. S. MacNiven & A. T. Moore (1981) 33 I'm just proofing vol II Justine for February publication. 1979 A. Easson i. 44 William also proofed much of her work. 2002 (Nexis) 25 May (Pasco Times section) 1 Proofing pasteups of the student newspaper. the world > matter > liquid > dryness > dry [verb (transitive)] > make waterproof the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > textile manufacture > manufacture textile fabric or that which consists of > manufacture of textile fabric > treating or processing textile fabric > treat or process textile fabric [verb (transitive)] > proof 1879 22 Aug. 116/2 Fabrics are usually ‘proofed’ with india-rubber by passing them a number of times through a spreading-machine. 1938 June 24/3 They won't have to worry about refinishing the wood too often, or wonder just how much water the cushions are ‘proofed’ against. 1942 Nov. 62/1 (advt.) Expertly proofed against the elements, and designed to withstand the roughest kind of wear, these popular Croton watches are the ones active men depend on for dependable timekeeping. 1955 43 466 The bags were made up of hessian which was not rot-proofed. 1974 J. Seymour (new ed.) v. 68 The big brick shed: the small room at the end of it we rat-proofed and it is our food store. 1993 Nov. 50/4 Other manufacturers proof the down itself to try and reduce its moisture-absorption and lower its drying time. 2005 (Nexis) 10 Oct. 21 They decide on effective remedies such as laying traps, spraying nests, pumping powder into wall cavities. Then premises must be proofed against pests returning. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022). <  n.?c1225 adj.adv.1583v.c1699 |
