prospect
Pronunciation
    • (RP) IPA: /ˈpɹɒspɛkt/
    • (GA) enPR: präsʹpĕkt, IPA: /ˈpɹɑspɛkt/
    • (RP) enPR: prə-spĕktʹ, IPA: /pɹəˈspɛkt/
    • (GA) enPR: präsʹpĕkt, IPA: /ˈpɹɑspɛkt/
Noun

prospect (plural prospects)

  1. The region which the eye overlooks at one time; view; scene; outlook.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. A Poem Written in Ten Books, London: Printed [by Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […] [a]nd by Robert Boulter […] [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], OCLC 228722708 ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: The Text Exactly Reproduced from the First Edition of 1667: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554 ↗, lines 543–552:
      As when a Scout […] Obtains the brow of ſome high-climbing Hill, / Which to his eye diſcovers unaware / The goodly proſpect of ſome forein land / Firſt-ſeen, or ſome renownd Metropolis / With gliſtering Spires and Pinnacles adornd, / Which now the Riſing Sun guilds with his beams.
  2. A picturesque or panoramic view; a landscape; hence, a sketch of a landscape.
  3. A position affording a fine view; a lookout.
    • 1667, John Milton, “Book III”, in Paradise Lost. A Poem Written in Ten Books, London: Printed [by Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […] [a]nd by Robert Boulter […] [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], OCLC 228722708 ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: The Text Exactly Reproduced from the First Edition of 1667: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, OCLC 230729554 ↗, lines 77–79:
      Him God beholding from his proſpect high, / Wherein paſt, preſent, future he beholds, / Thus to his onely Son forſeeing ſpake.
  4. Relative position of the front of a building or other structure; face; relative aspect.
    • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), imprinted at London: By Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981 ↗, Ezekiel 40:44 ↗:
      Their prospect was toward the south.
  5. The act of looking forward; foresight; anticipation.
    • 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Thomas Basset, […], OCLC 153628242 ↗:
      a very ill prospect of a future state
    • 1663, John Tillotson, The Wisdom of being Religious
      Is he a prudent man as to his temporal estate, that lays designs only for a day, without any prospect to, or provision for, the remaining part of life?
  6. The potential things that may come to pass, often favorable.
  7. A hope; a hopeful.
  8. (sports) Any player whose rights are owned by a top-level professional team, but who has yet to play a game for said team.
  9. (sales) A potential client or customer.
  10. (music) The façade of an organ.
Translations Translations Translations Translations Verb

prospect (prospects, present participle prospecting; past and past participle prospected)

  1. (intransitive) To search, as for gold.
  2. (geology, mining) To determine which minerals or metals are present in a location.
Translations Translations
  • French: prospecter
  • Portuguese: prospectar
  • Spanish: prospectar



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