Prop

/pɹɒp/ noun, verb, slang

noun, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports.
  • Grammar: prop is listed as noun, verb, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: property, advocate, aeroplane, afford support.
  • Useful contrasts: collapse, drop, flanker.
  • Usage evidence: He fetched a few cushions to prop up her head.

How to use "prop"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "prop" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.

Meaning check

  • Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
  • Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
  • Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
  • Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?

Source and review context

This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "prop" in a final draft.

If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.

Before you rely on this definition

Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "prop" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "prop" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.

Compare nearby meanings

  • Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
  • Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
  • Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
  • Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.

Definition decision workflow

1. Identify the role

Check whether "prop" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.

2. Test the nearest option

Compare it with "property" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.

3. Confirm with context

Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.

Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.

Final meaning check

Before publishing a sentence with "prop", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.

When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports.

    "They stuck a block of wood under it as a prop."

  2. 2
    An item placed on a stage or set to create a scene or scenario in which actors perform.

    "They used the trophy as a prop in the movie."

  3. 3
    The propeller of an aircraft or boat.
  4. 4
    A proposition, especially on an election-day ballot. US

    "John Aubrey Douglass, a senior research fellow at the Center for Studies in Higher Education at Berkeley, said that while he was not an insider on admissions practices, “my sense is that admissions is highly regulated and careful to stay clear of Prop 209 restrictions, and the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action.”"

  5. 5
    Clipping of propellant (“rocket fuel”). abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
Show 12 more definitions
  1. 6
    Clipping of proposition player. abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal
  2. 7
    A part of a plant reared for its multiplication. Internet
  3. 8
    Testosterone propionate. slang, uncountable
  4. 9
    A blow; the act of striking someone. obsolete, slang

    "There was some good counter hits, and then Foster received a prop on the nose which drew the claret."

  5. 10
    Abbreviation of propylthiouracil. abbreviation, alt-of, uncountable
  6. 11
    a propeller that rotates to push against air wordnet
  7. 12
    The player on either side of the hooker in a scrum.
  8. 13
    An item placed within an advertisement in order to suggest a style of living etc.

    "You can use props in a literal way to enhance the story, such as shooting a woodworker amidst woodworking tools."

  9. 14
    A scarf pin. obsolete
  10. 15
    a support placed beneath or against something to keep it from shaking or falling wordnet
  11. 16
    Any of the seashells in the game of props.
  12. 17
    any movable articles or objects used on the set of a play or movie wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To support or shore up something. figuratively, sometimes, transitive

    "Try using a phone book to prop up the table where the foot is missing."

  2. 2
    To manually start the engine of a propeller-driven aircraft with no electric starter by pulling vigorously on one of the propeller blades using the hands, so that the propeller can catch ignition.
  3. 3
    support by placing against something solid or rigid wordnet
  4. 4
    To play rugby in the prop position. intransitive
  5. 5
    To position the feet of (a person) while sitting, lying down, or reclining so that the knees are elevated at a higher level. transitive, usually
Show 2 more definitions
  1. 6
    To stop suddenly or unexpectedly; derived from the situation where a horse might suddenly halt of its own accord, digging its front hooves into the ground to brace itself from forward movement, potentially unseating its rider. Australia, New-Zealand, intransitive
  2. 7
    To knock (a person) down. UK, obsolete, slang, transitive

    "We used to go out into the roads (highway robbery) between races, and if we met an ‘old bloke’ (man) we ‘propped him’ (knocked him down), and robbed him."

Synonyms

All synonyms
propertyadvocateaeroplaneafford supportairplaneairplane propeller

Example

"He fetched a few cushions to prop up her head."

Common questions

What does "prop" mean?

An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports.

What is a synonym for "prop"?

Common synonyms include: property, advocate, aeroplane, afford support, airplane, airplane propeller.

How do you use "prop" in a sentence?

He fetched a few cushions to prop up her head.

How do you pronounce "prop"?

Pronounced /pɹɒp/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English proppe (“a prop, support, support for a vine or plant”), from Middle Dutch proppe (“support, support for a vine, stopper for a bottle”). Compare Middle Low German proppe (“plug, stopper”), German Pfropfen (“plug”), Danish prop (“plug, stopper”).

Etymology 2

Clipping of property.

Etymology 3

Clipping of propeller.

Etymology 4

Clipping of proposition.

Etymology 5

Clipping of propagation.

Etymology 6

Clipping of testosterone propionate.

More for "prop"

Synonyms

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