prize

See also:příze

English

Etymology 1

FromMiddle Englishprise,fromOld Frenchprise(“a taking, capture, a seizure, a thing seized, a prize, booty, also hold, purchase”),past participle ofprendre(“to take, to capture”),fromLatinprēndere(“to take, seize”);seeprehend.Compareprison,apprise,comprise,enterprise,purprise,reprisal,surprise,etc.Doubletofprise.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/pɹaɪz/

• Audio(US):

  (file)

  • Rhymes:-aɪz
• Homophones:pries,prise

Noun

prize(pluralprizes)

1. That which is taken from another; somethingcaptured;a thing seized by force, stratagem, or superior power.
   • 1596,Edmund Spenser,“Book IV, Canto IV”, inThe Faerie Queene.[…],London:[…][John Wolfe] forWilliam Ponsonbie,→OCLC,page54:

     […]wherefore he now begunne
     To challenge her anew, as his owneprize,
     Whom formerly he had in battell wonne,

2. (military,nautical)Anything captured by abelligerentusing the rights of war; especially, property captured at sea in virtue of the rights of war, as avessel.
   • 1724,Charles Johnson[pseudonym], “Of CaptainAvery,and His Crew”, inA General History of the Pyrates,[…],2nd edition, London: Printed for, and sold by T. Warner,[…],→OCLC,page51:

     Having taken all the Treasure on Board their own Ships, and plundered theirPrizeof every Thing elſe they either wanted or liked, they let her go; ſhe not being able to continue her Voyage, returned back:[…]

3. Anhonourorrewardstriven for in a competitive contest; anything offered to be competed for, or as aninducementto, or reward of, effort.
   • 1675,John Dryden,Aureng-zebe: A Tragedy.[…],London:[…]T[homas]N[ewcomb]forHenry Herringman,[…],published1676,→OCLC,Act I,page 5:

     I fought and conquer’d, yet have lost theprize.

4. That which may be won by chance, as in alottery.
   • 1928,Weston Jarvis,Jottings from an Active Life‎^[1],London: Heath Cranton, page256:

     Cecil Rhodes[…]was never tired of impressing upon one that the fact of being an Englishman was “the greatestprizein the lottery of life,” and that it was that thought which always sustained him when he was troubled.

5. Anything worth striving for; a valuable possession held or inprospect.
   • 1611,The Holy Bible,[…](King James Version), London:[…]Robert Barker,[…],→OCLC,Philippians3:14:

     I press toward the mark for theprizeof the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

6. (obsolete)Acontestfor a reward;competition.
   • c.1596–1598(date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,[Act III, scene ii]:

     Like one of two contending in aprize,
     That thinks he hath done well in people's eyes[…]

7. Alever;apry;also, the hold of a lever.

   Synonym:prise

Usage notes

Do not confuse withprice.

Derived terms

Terms derived fromprize

• blanks and prizes
• booby prize
• consolation prize
• door prize
• eyes on the prize
• grand prize
• Nobel Prize
• no prize for guessing
• no prize pig
• play stupid games, win stupid prizes
• prize cake
• prize crew
• prize draw
• prizefighter
• prizegiver
• prizegiving
• prizeless
• prizelike
• prizelist
• prizeman
• prize money
• prize of war
• prize pool
• prize ring
• prize-taking
• prizewinner,prize winner
• prize-winning
• prizeworthy
• Pulitzer Prize
• spot prize
• star prize

Translations

something captured

• Arabic:سَلِيبَةf(salība)
• Azerbaijani:qənimət
• Bulgarian:плячка(bg)f(pljačka)
• Catalan:botí(ca)m
• Danish:bytte(da)n
• Dutch:buit(nl)f
• Hebrew:שָׁלָל(he)m(shalal)
• Italian:trofeo(it)m
• Japanese:Bộ hoạch vật(ほかくぶつ, hokakubutsu)
• Kyrgyz:сыйлык(ky)(sıylık)
• Russian:трофе́й(ru)m(troféj),добы́ча(ru)f(dobýča)
• Spanish:botín(es)m
• Swedish:pris(sv),trofé(sv)c
• Turkish:ganimet(tr)

anything captured using the rights of war

• Arabic:غَنِيمَةf(ḡanīma)
• Azerbaijani:qənimət
• Belarusian:трафе́йm(trafjéj)
• Bulgarian:трофей(bg)m(trofej)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin:Chiến lợi phẩm／Chiến lợi phẩm(zh)(zhànlìpǐn)

• Danish:prisec
• Dutch:buit(nl)f
• German:Beute(de),Beute(de)
• Hebrew:שָׁלָל(he)m(shalal)
• Hindi:लूट(hi)f(lūṭ)
• Italian:bottino(it)m
• Japanese:Chiến lợi phẩm(ja)(せんりひん, senrihin)
• Russian:трофе́й(ru)m(troféj)
• Swedish:pris(sv),trofé(sv)c
• Turkish:ganimet(tr)
• Ukrainian:трофе́й(uk)m(troféj)

honor or reward striven for in a competitive contest

• Albanian:çmim(sq)m
• Arabic:جَائِزَةf(jāʔiza),مُكَافَأَةf(mukāfaʔa)
• Armenian:մրցանակ(hy)(mrcʻanak)
• Assamese:বঁটা(bõta)
• Asturian:premium
• Azerbaijani:mükafat(az)
• Belarusian:прэ́міяf(prémija),прызm(pryz),узнагаро́даf(uznaharóda),нагаро́даf(naharóda)
• Bengali:প্রাইজ(bn)(praij),পুরষ্কার(purośkar)
• Bulgarian:награ́да(bg)f(nagráda),пре́мия(bg)f(prémija)
• Burmese:ဆု(my)(hcu.)
• Catalan:premi(ca)m
• Cebuano:premyo
• Cherokee:ᎠᏓᎪᎾᏙᏗ(adagonadodi)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin:Tưởng phẩm／Tưởng phẩm(zh)(jiǎngpǐn),Tưởng kim／Tưởng kim(zh)(jiǎngjīn)

• Czech:cena(cs)f,oceněnín
• Danish:præmiec,pris(da)c
• Dutch:prijs(nl)m,beloning(nl)f,premie(nl)f
• Esperanto:premio(eo)
• Estonian:auhind
• Finnish:palkinto(fi)
• French:prix(fr)m
• Georgian:პრიზი(ṗrizi),ჯილდო(ka)(ǯildo)
• German:Preis(de)m
• Greek:βραβείο(el)n(vraveío),έπαθλο(el)n(épathlo)

  Ancient:βραβεῖονn(brabeîon),ἆθλονn(âthlon)

• Hebrew:פְּרָס(he)m(pras)
• Hindi:इनाम(hi)m(inām),पुरस्कार(hi)m(puraskār)
• Hungarian:díj(hu)
• Irish:duaisf
• Italian:premio(it)m
• Japanese:Thưởng(ja)(しょう, shō)
• Kazakh:жүлде(jülde),марапат(marapat),сыйлық(syilyq),бәйге(bäige)
• Khmer:រង្វាន់(km)(rŭəngvŏən)
• Korean:상( thưởng )(ko)(sang)
• Kyrgyz:байге(ky)(bayge),приз(priz),сыйлык(ky)(sıylık)
• Lao:ລາງວັນ(lāng wan)
• Latgalian:duovaņs,prizs
• Latin:praemiumn
• Latvian:balvaf,prēmijaf
• Lithuanian:prizasm,premijaf
• Low German:Pries(nds)
• Macedonian:наградаf(nagrada)
• Maori:puiaki,tohu puiaki,paraihe
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic:шагнал(mn)(šagnal)

  Mongolian:ᠱᠠᠩᠨᠠᠯ(šangnal)

• Norwegian:

  Bokmål:premie(no)m,pris(no)m

• Occitan:prèmi(oc)m
• Pashto:انعام(ps)m(en'ãm)
• Persian:جایزه(fa)(jâyeze),مکافات(fa)(mokâfât),انعام(fa)(en'âm)
• Polish:nagroda(pl)f
• Portuguese:(Brazil)prêmio(pt)m,(Portugal)prémio(pt)m
• Romanian:premiu(ro)n
• Russian:пре́мия(ru)f(prémija),приз(ru)m(priz),награ́да(ru)f(nagráda)
• Sanskrit:मीढ(sa)n(mīḍha)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic:на̑градаf

  Roman:nȃgrada(sh)f

• Slovak:cena(sk)f
• Slovene:nagrada(sl)f
• Southern Altai:сый(sïy)
• Spanish:premio(es)m
• Swedish:pris(sv)n,vinst(sv)c
• Tagalog:premyo
• Tajik:мукофот(tg)(mukofot),ҷоиза(joyiza),инъом(tg)(inʾom)
• Tatar:бүләк(tt)(büläk)
• Thai:รางวัล(th)(raang-wan)
• Turkish:ödül(tr),mükafat(tr)
• Turkmen:baýrak(tk)
• Ukrainian:пре́мія(uk)f(prémija),призm(pryz),нагоро́даf(nahoróda)
• Urdu:انعام(ur)m(in'ām)
• Uyghur:مۇكاپات(mukapat)
• Uzbek:mukofot(uz),sovrin(uz)
• Vietnamese:giải thưởng(vi),giải(vi)
• Welsh:gwobr(cy)f
• Yiddish:פּרײַזm(prayz),פּרעמיעf(premye),פּריזm(priz)

that which may be won by chance

• Azerbaijani:uduş(az)
• Belarusian:прызm(pryz),вы́грышm(výhryš),вы́йгранкаf(výjhranka)
• Bulgarian:печалба(bg)f(pečalba)
• Burmese:ဆု(my)(hcu.)
• Catalan:premi(ca)m
• Danish:gevinst(da)c
• Dutch:prijs(nl)m
• Estonian:võit(et)
• French:prix(fr)m
• German:Preis(de)m
• Irish:duaisf
• Italian:premio(it)m
• Japanese:Thưởng(ja)(しょう, shō)
• Latin:praemiumn
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål:gevinstm

  Nynorsk:gevinstm

• Portuguese:prêmio(pt)m
• Romanian:premiu(ro)n
• Russian:приз(ru)m(priz),вы́игрыш(ru)m(výigryš)
• Spanish:premio(es)m
• Swedish:pris(sv)n
• Turkish:ikramiye(tr)
• Ukrainian:призm(pryz),ви́грашm(výhraš)

anything worth striving for

• Estonian:tasu
• Japanese:Châu ngọc(ja)(しゅぎょく, shugyoku)
• Russian:награ́да(ru)f(nagráda)
• Swedish:pris(sv)n,lön(sv)c

competition

• Dutch:prijs(nl)m
• Estonian:võistlus
• Japanese:Thưởng(ja)(しょう, shō)
• Swedish:pris(sv),vinst(sv)c

lever

• Bulgarian:лост(bg)m(lost)
• Dutch:hendel(nl)m
• Japanese:てこ(ja)(teko);(archaic,not jōyō kanji)Đĩnh(ja)(てこ, teko),Đĩnh tử(ja)(てこ, teko)
• Russian:рыча́г(ru)m(ryčág)
• Turkish:manivela(tr),kaldıraç(tr)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Latin:^{(pleaseverify)}praemium

See also

• price
• prise

Etymology 2

FromMiddle Englishprysen,borrowed fromOld Frenchpriser(“to set a price or value on, esteem, value”),frompris(“price”),fromLatinpretium(“price, value”),whenceprice;see alsopraise,a doublet. Compareappraise,apprize.

Verb

prize(third-person singular simple presentprizes,present participleprizing,simple past and past participleprized)

1. To consider highly valuable; toesteem.
   • 1610–1611(date written),William Shakespeare,“The Tempest”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,[Act III, scene i]:

     […]I
     Beyond all limit of what else i’ the world
     Do love,prize,honour you.

   • 1675,John Dryden,Aureng-zebe: A Tragedy.[…],London:[…]T[homas]N[ewcomb]forHenry Herringman,[…],published1676,→OCLC,Act V,page83:

     Ipris’dyour Person, but your Crown disdain.

   • 2013,J. M. Coetzee,chapter 20, inThe Childhood of Jesus‎^[2],London: Harvill Secker, page167:

     ‘[…]An old broken cup has no value. No oneprizesit.’
     ‘Iprizeit. It’s my museum, not yours.’

2. (obsolete)To set or estimate the value of; to appraise; to price; to rate.
   • c.1610–1611(date written),William Shakespeare,“The Winters Tale”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,[Act III, scene ii]:

     […]no life,
     Iprizeit not a straw, but for mine honour,

   • 1611,The Holy Bible,[…](King James Version), London:[…]Robert Barker,[…],→OCLC,Zechariah11:13:

     […]a goodly price that I wasprizedat.

3. To move with alever;to force up or open; topriseorpry.
   • 2021,Kazuo Ishiguro,Klara and the Sun,Faber & Faber Limited, page298:

     ‘Find some other black boxes toprizeopen.’

4. (obsolete)To compete in aprizefight.

Derived terms

• foreprize
• outprize
• overprize
• prizable
• prizer
• underprize
• unprizable
• unprized

Translations

to consider something highly valuable

• Bulgarian:ценя(bg)(cenja)
• Dutch:prijzen(nl),schatten(nl)
• Estonian:väärtustama
• French:estimer(fr)
• Ido:prizar(io)
• Japanese:Trọng んじる(ja)(おもんじる,omonjiru)
• Latin:pretio
• Maori:matapopore,kaingākau,kaingākaunui
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål:pris(no)m

• Spanish:apreciar(es)
• Swedish:prisa(sv)
• Turkish:değer vermek(tr)

to move with a lever; to force up or open; to pry

• Dutch:wrikken(nl),openwrikken
• Finnish:kangeta(fi),vääntää(fi)
• Japanese:こじ khai ける(こじあける,kojiakeru)
• Maori:whakatiriwhana

Etymology 3

(Thisetymologyis missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at theEtymology scriptorium.)

Adjective

prize(notcomparable)

1. Havingwonaprize;award-winning.

   aprizevegetable

2. First-rate;exceptional.

   He was aprizefool.

Etymology 4

Alternative forms.

Noun

prize(pluralprizes)

1. Obsoleteform ofprice.[16th–19th c.]
   • 1777,Joshua Reynolds,edited byJohn IngamellsandJohn Edgcumbe,The Letters of Sir Joshua Reynolds,Yale, published2000,page69:

     Myprizes– for a head is thirty five Guineas – As far as the Knees seventy – and for a whole-length one hundred and fifty.

Further reading

• “prize”,inWebster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary,Springfield, Mass.:G. & C. Merriam,1913,→OCLC.
• “prize”,inThe Century Dictionary[…],New York, N.Y.:The Century Co.,1911,→OCLC.

Anagrams

• pizer,rezip