Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Procure

Pro-cure′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Procured
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Procuring
.]
[F.
procurer
, L.
procurare
,
procuratum
, to take care of;
pro
for +
curare
to take care, fr.
cura
care. See
Cure
, and cf.
Proctor
,
Proxy
.]
1.
To bring into possession; to cause to accrue to, or to come into possession of; to acquire or provide for one’s self or for another; to gain; to get; to obtain by any means, as by purchase or loan.
If we
procure
not to ourselves more woe.
Milton.
2.
To contrive; to bring about; to effect; to cause.
By all means possible they
procure
to have gold and silver among them in reproach.
Robynson (More's Utopia) .
Proceed, Solinus, to
procure
my fall.
Shakespeare
3.
To solicit; to entreat.
[Obs.]
The famous Briton prince and faery knight, . . .
Of the fair Alma greatly were
procured

To make there longer sojourn and abode.
Spenser.
4.
To cause to come; to bring; to attract.
[Obs.]
What unaccustomed cause
procures
her hither?
Shakespeare
5.
To obtain for illicit intercourse or prostitution.
Syn. – See
Attain
.

Pro-cure′

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To pimp.
Shak.
2.
To manage business for another in court.
[Scot.]

Webster 1828 Edition

Procure

PROCU'RE

,
Verb.
T.
[L. procuro; pro and curo, to take care.]
1.
To get; to gain; to obtain; as by request, loan, effort, labor or purchase. We procure favors by request; we procure money by borrowing; we procure food by cultivating the earth; offices are procured by solicitation or favor; we procure titles to estate by purchase. It is used of things of temporary possession more generally than acquire. We do not say, we acquired favor, we acquired money by borrowing but we procured.
2.
To persuade; to prevail on.
What unaccustom'd cause procures her hither? [Unusual.]
3.
To cause; to bring about; to effect; to contrive and effect.
Proceed, Salinus, to procure my fall.
4.
To cause to come on; to bring on.
We no other pains endure
Than those that we ourselves procure.
5.
To draw to; to attract; to gain. Modesty procures love and respect.

PROCU'RE

,
Verb.
I.
To pimp.

Definition 2024

procure

procure

See also: procuré

English

Verb

procure ‎(third-person singular simple present procures, present participle procuring, simple past and past participle procured)

  1. (transitive) To acquire or obtain.
    • Milton
      if we procure not to ourselves more woe
    • Later there would also be need for seeds and artificial manures, besides various tools and, finally, the machinery for the windmill. How these were to be procured, no one was able to imagine.
  2. (transitive) To obtain a person as a prostitute for somebody else.
  3. (transitive, criminal law) To induce or persuade someone to do something.
  4. (obsolete) To contrive; to bring about; to effect; to cause.
    • Robynson (More's Utopia)
      By all means possible they procure to have gold and silver among them in reproach.
    • Shakespeare
      Proceed, Solinus, to procure my fall.
  5. (obsolete) To solicit; to entreat.
    • Spenser
      The famous Briton prince and faery knight, […] / Of the fair Alma greatly were procured / To make there longer sojourn and abode.
  6. (obsolete) To cause to come; to bring; to attract.
    • Shakespeare
      What unaccustomed cause procures her hither?

Synonyms

Related terms

Translations

References

  • “procure” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).

French

Verb

procure

  1. first-person singular present indicative of procurer
  2. third-person singular present indicative of procurer
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of procurer
  4. first-person singular present subjunctive of procurer
  5. second-person singular imperative of procurer

Italian

Noun

procure f

  1. plural of procura

Portuguese

Verb

procure

  1. first-person singular present subjunctive of procurar
  2. third-person singular present subjunctive of procurar
  3. first-person singular imperative of procurar
  4. third-person singular imperative of procurar

Spanish

Verb

procure

  1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of procurar.
  2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of procurar.
  3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of procurar.
  4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of procurar.

Etymology

From Old French procurer, from Late Latin prōcūrāre, present active infinitive of prōcūrō ‎(“I manage, administer”), from Latin prō ‎(“on behalf of”) with cūrō ‎(“I care for”).

Pronunciation

Similar Results