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“prescribe”
prescribe (verb), prescribes; prescribed; prescribing
1. To officially follow a doctor's instructions for a patient to follow a particular course of medical treatment: Jim's doctor prescribed a medicine that had details of how often the drug had to be taken, how much was to be consumed, and other relevant information for him to follow.
2. To present rules or instructions that are to be followed exactly as presented: Mark's new employer prescribes that new workers must pass a physical examination before they can become employees or members of the company.
3. To do something that is suggested as a way to accomplish or to make an objective or an intention succeed as desired: A group of many parents is prescribing the improvement of the educational system in their community.
4. Etymology: from Latin praescribere, "to write before or in front, to order, to direct" from prae-, "before" + scribere, "to write."
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2. To present rules or instructions that are to be followed exactly as presented: Mark's new employer prescribes that new workers must pass a physical examination before they can become employees or members of the company.
3. To do something that is suggested as a way to accomplish or to make an objective or an intention succeed as desired: A group of many parents is prescribing the improvement of the educational system in their community.
4. Etymology: from Latin praescribere, "to write before or in front, to order, to direct" from prae-, "before" + scribere, "to write."
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This entry is located in the following units:
pre-, prae-
(page 15)
scrib-, script-, -scribe, -scription, -scriptive
(page 4)
prescribe, proscribe
prescribe (pri SKRIGHB) (verb)
1. To provide or write an order for medications or recommendations: Kenneth asked his doctor to prescribe physiotherapy for his sore wrist.
2. To indicate or to dictate regulations that are to be followed: The school principal decided to prescribe new playground rules for the pupils.
2. To indicate or to dictate regulations that are to be followed: The school principal decided to prescribe new playground rules for the pupils.
proscribe (proh SKRIGHB) (verb)
1. To prohibit or to condemn as harmful: The village elders determined to proscribe smoking in the public buildings.
2. To make something illegal or to forbid certain things: The principal said he would proscribe the use of cell phones in school.
3. To publish the name of an individual who is condemned to death or whose property is forfeited to the government: The next edition of the internal newsletter at the prison will proscribe the list of inmates each week.
2. To make something illegal or to forbid certain things: The principal said he would proscribe the use of cell phones in school.
3. To publish the name of an individual who is condemned to death or whose property is forfeited to the government: The next edition of the internal newsletter at the prison will proscribe the list of inmates each week.
When Keith asked the doctor to prescribe pain killers for his injured ankle, he agreed, but said that he would also proscribe strenuous physical activity for at least a month.
This entry is located in the following unit:
Confusing Words Clarified: Group P; Homonyms, Homophones, Homographs, Synonyms, Polysemes, etc. +
(page 8)