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Webster 1913 Edition


Prolific

Pro-lif′ic

,
Adj.
[F.
prolifique
, fr. L.
proles
offspring (from
pro
for, forward + the root of
alere
to nourish) +
facere
to make. See
Adult
,
Old
, and
Fact
.]
1.
Having the quality of generating; producing young or fruit; generative; fruitful; productive; – applied to plants producing fruit, animals producing young, etc.; – usually with the implied idea of frequent or numerous production;
as, a
prolific
tree, female, and the like
.
2.
Serving to produce; fruitful of results; active;
as, a
prolific
brain; a controversy
prolific
of evil.
3.
(Bot.)
Proliferous.

Webster 1828 Edition


Prolific

PROLIF'IC


Definition 2024


prolific

prolific

See also: prolífic

English

Alternative forms

Adjective

prolific (comparative more prolific, superlative most prolific)

  1. Fertile, producing offspring or fruit in abundance — applied to plants producing fruit, animals producing young, etc.
  2. Similarly producing results or works in abundance
    • 2007, Ted Jones, The French Riviera: A Literary Guide for Travellers, 58:
      However appealing Antibes may be to migrant authors, indigenous ones are relatively scarce. A notable exception is Jacques Audiberti, Antibes-born novelist and prolific playwright who wrote in the turn-of-the-century surrealist style, with titles that translate as Slaughter, or In Favour of Infanticide.
    • 2012 September 7, Dominic Fifield, “England start World Cup campaign with five-goal romp against Moldova”, in The Guardian:
      The most obvious beneficiary of the visitors' superiority was Frank Lampard. By the end of the night he was perched 13th in the list of England's most prolific goalscorers, having leapfrogged Sir Geoff Hurst to score his 24th and 25th international goals. No other player has managed more than the Chelsea midfielder's 11 in World Cup qualification ties, with this a display to roll back the years.

Synonyms

  • fertile
  • (fertile, producing offspring or fruit in abundance) fecund
  • (producing results or works in abundance) See also Wikisaurus:productive

Derived terms

Translations

References

  • prolific in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913