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prise

Pronunciation: /prʌɪz/

(US prize)
Translate prise | into French | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of prise

verb

[with object and adverbial of direction]
  • use force in order to move, move apart, or open (something):I tried to prise Joe’s fingers away from the stick
  • (prise something out of/from) obtain something from (someone) with effort or difficulty:I got the loan, though I had to prise it out of him

Origin:

late 17th century: from dialect prise 'lever', from Old French prise 'grasp, taking hold'. Compare with pry2

Do not confuse prise with prize. Prise means 'force something apart or open' (he prised open a bottle of beer), whereas prize means 'a reward for an achievement' or 'value something very highly' (Africa’s cultural treasures are prized by collectors). In American English, the spelling prize is used for both words.

prise in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of prise in the US English dictionary
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