prospect

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive), Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: pros=pect

CIDE DICTIONARY

prospect, n. [L. prospectus, fr. prospicere, prospectum, to look forward; pro before, forward + specere, spicere, look, to see: cf. OF. prospect. See Spy, v., and cf. Prospectus.].

•  That which is embraced by eye in vision; the region which the eye overlooks at one time; view; scene; outlook.  [1913 Webster]

  "His eye discovers unaware
  The goodly prospect of some foreign land."  [1913 Webster]
•  Especially, a picturesque or widely extended view; a landscape; hence, a sketch of a landscape.  [1913 Webster]

  "I went to Putney . . . to take prospects in crayon."  [1913 Webster]
•  A position affording a fine view; a lookout.  [1913 Webster]

  "Him God beholding from his prospect high."  [1913 Webster]
•  Relative position of the front of a building or other structure; face; relative aspect.  [1913 Webster]

  "And their prospect was toward the south."  [1913 Webster]
•  The act of looking forward; foresight; anticipation; as, a prospect of the future state.  Locke.  [1913 Webster]

  "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 ?"  [1913 Webster]
•  That which is hoped for; ground for hope or expectation; expectation; probable result; as, the prospect of success.  Cowper.  [1913 Webster]

  "These swell their prospectsd exalt their pride,
  When offers are disdain'd, and love deny'd."  [1913 Webster]

prospect, v. t. 

 To look over; to explore or examine for something; as, to prospect a district for gold.  [1913 Webster]

prospect, v. i. 

 To make a search; to seek; to explore, as for mines or the like; as, to prospect for gold.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

prospect, n. & v.
--n.
1 a (often in pl.) an expectation, esp. of success in a career etc. (his prospects were brilliant; offers a gloomy prospect; no prospect of success). b something one has to look forward to (don't relish the prospect of meeting him).
2 an extensive view of landscape etc. (a striking prospect).
3 a mental picture (a new prospect in his mind).
4 a a place likely to yield mineral deposits. b a sample of ore for testing. c the resulting yield.
5 a possible or probable customer, subscriber, etc.
--v.
1 intr. (usu. foll. by for) a explore a region for gold etc. b look out for or search for something.
2 tr. a explore (a region) for gold etc. b work (a mine) experimentally. c (of a mine) promise (a specified yield).

Idiom

prospect well (or ill etc.) (of a mine) promise well (or ill etc.).

Derivative

prospectless adj. prospector n.

Etymology

ME f. L prospectus: see PROSPECTUS

DEVIL DICTIONARY

prospect

n. An outlook, usually forbidding. An expectation, usually forbidden.

Blow, blow, ye spicy breezes --
O'er Ceylon blow your breath,
Where every prospect pleases,
Save only that of death.
Bishop Sheber

THESAURUS

prospect

aftertime, afteryears, airscape, anticipation, aptitude, aspect, aspiration, assumption, assurance, assured faith, bare possibility, by-and-by, certainty, chance, chances, cheerful expectation, cityscape, client, cloudscape, command, conceivability, conceivableness, confidence, contemplation, contingency, conviction, course ahead, crystal ball, customer, dekko, delve into, dependence, design, desire, determinism, dig into, discretion, distant future, domination, doomed hope, envisagement, envisionment, even chance, eventuality, expectancy, expectation, explore, eye, eyeful, eyereach, eyeshot, eyesight, fair expectation, fair prospect, faith, farseeingness, farsightedness, favorable prospect, fervent hope, field of view, field of vision, forecast, foreglance, foregleam, foreglimpse, forehandedness, foreseeing, foresight, foresightedness, forward look, future, future tense, futurism, futurity, go, good chance, good cheer, good hope, good possibility, great expectations, hereafter, high hopes, hope, hopeful prognosis, hopefulness, hopes, hoping, hoping against hope, horizon, immediate future, immediate prospect, imminence, in prospect, in sight, in store, in the cards, in the offing, in the wind, in view, intention, ken, landscape, leer, leering look, liability, likelihood, likeliness, likely, limit of vision, line of sight, longsightedness, look, look for, look-in, looking ahead, lookout, lustful leer, mark, mine, naked eye, near future, odds, off chance, offing, on the horizon, on the table, opportunity, outlook, outlook over, outside chance, outside hope, pan, pan for gold, panorama, patron, perspective, plan, possibilities, possibility, possible, possibleness, posteriority, potential, potentiality, prayerful hope, prediction, preparation, prepublication, presumption, presumptive evidence, preview, prevision, probabilism, probability, probable, project, projected, promise, prophecy, prospection, prospects, providence, provision, prudence, quarry, range, readiness, reasonable ground, reasonable hope, regard, regular, regular customer, reliance, remote possibility, riverscape, sagacity, sanguine expectation, scan, scape, scene, scenery, scenic view, scope, scope of vision, search for, seascape, security, sidelong look, sift, sight, sightliness, skyscape, sly look, small hope, spectacle, sucker, survey, sweep, tendency, the attainable, the feasible, the future, the morrow, the possible, the sweet by-and-by, thinkability, thinkableness, thought, time ahead, time just ahead, time to come, tomorrow, townscape, trust, unastonishment, verisimilitude, view, virtuality, vista, waterscape, well-grounded hope, what is possible, what may be, what might be

ROGET THESAURUS

prospect

Futurity

N futurity, futurition, future, hereafter, time to come, approaching time, coming time, subsequent time, after time, approaching age, coming age, subsequent age, after age, approaching days, coming days, subsequent days, after days, approaching hours, coming hours, subsequent hours, after hours, approaching ages, coming ages, subsequent ages, after ages, approaching life, coming life, subsequent life, after life, approaching years, coming years, subsequent years, after years, morrow, millennium, doomsday, day of judgment, crack of doom, remote future, approach of time advent, time drawing on, womb of time, destiny, eventuality, heritage, heirs posterity, prospect, foresight, future, to come, coming, next, near, close at hand, eventual, ulterior, in prospect, prospectively, hereafter, in future, kal, tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, in course of time, in process of time, in the fullness of time, eventually, ultimately, sooner or later, proximo, paulo post futurum, in after time, one of these days, after a time, after a while, from this time, henceforth, henceforwards, thence, thenceforth, thenceforward, whereupon, upon which, soon, on the eve of, on the point of, on the brink of, about to, close upon, quid sit futurum cras fuge quaerere.

Destiny

N destiny, future existence, post existence, hereafter, future state, next world, world to come, after life, futurity, everlasting life, everlasting death, life beyond the grave, world beyond the grave, prospect, impending, destined, about to be, happen, coming, in store, to come, going to happen, instant, at hand, near, near, close at hand, over hanging, hanging over one's head, imminent, brewing, preparing, forthcoming, int he wind, on the cards, in reserve, that will, is to be, in prospect, looming in the distance, horizon, future, unborn, in embryo, int he womb of time, futurity, pregnant, in time, the long run, all in good time, eventually, whatever may happen, as chance would have it.

Appearance

N appearance, phenomenon, sight, spectacle, show, premonstration, scene, species, view, coup d'oeil, lookout, outlook, prospect, vista, perspective, bird's-eye view, scenery, landscape, picture, tableau, display, exposure, mise en sc ne, rising of the curtain, phantasm, phantom, pageant, spectacle, peep-show, raree-show, gallanty-show, ombres chinoises, magic lantern, phantasmagoria, dissolving views, biograph, cinematograph, moving pictures, panorama, diorama, cosmorama, georama, coup de theatre, jeu de theatre, pageantry, insignia, aspect, angle, phase, phasis, seeming, shape, guise, look, complexion, color, image, mien, air, cast, carriage, port, demeanor, presence, expression, first blush, face of the thing, point of view, light, lineament feature trait lines, outline, outside, contour, face, countenance, physiognomy, visage, phiz, cast of countenance, profile, tournure, cut of one s jib, metoposcopy, outside, apparent, seeming, ostensible, on view, apparently, to all seeming, to all appearance, ostensibly, seemingly, as it seems, on the face of it, prima facie, at the first blush, at first sight, in the eyes of, to the eye, editio princeps.

Probability

N probability, likelihood, credibleness, likeliness, vraisemblance, verisimilitude, plausibility, color, semblance, show of, presumption, presumptive evidence, circumstantial evidence, credibility, reasonable chance, fair chance, good chance, favorable chance, reasonable prospect, fair prospect, good prospect, favorable prospect, prospect, wellgrounded hope, chance, probable, likely, hopeful, to be expected, in a fair way, plausible, specious, ostensible, colorable, ben trovato, well-founded, reasonable, credible, easy of belief, presumable, presumptive, apparent, probably, belike, in all probability, in all likelihood, very likely, most likely, like enough, odds on, odds in favor, ten to one, apparently, seemingly, according to every reasonable expectation, prim=a facie, to all appearance, the chances, the odds are, appearances are in favor of, chances are in favor of, there is reason to believe, there is reason to think, there is reason to expect, I dare say, all Lombard Street to a China orange.

Expectation

N expectation, expectance, expectancy, anticipation, reckoning, calculation, foresight, contemplation, prospection, lookout, prospect, perspective, horizon, vista, destiny, suspense, waiting, abeyance, curiosity, anxious expectation, ardent expectation, eager expectation, breathless expectation, sanguine expectation, torment of Tantalus, hope, trust, auspices, assurance, confidence, presumption, reliance, expectant, expecting, in expectation, on the watch, open-eyed, open-mouthed, in wide-eyed anticipation, agape, gaping, all agog, on tenterhooks, on tiptoe, on the tiptoe of expectation, aux aguets, ready, curious, looking forward to, expected, long expected, foreseen, in prospect, prospective, in one's eye, in one's view, in the horizon, on the horizon, just over the horizon, just around the corner, around the corner, impending, on the watch, with breathless expectation, with bated breath, with rapt anticipation, arrectis auribus, we shall see, nous verrons, expectation whirls me round, the light at the end of the tunnel.

Foresight

N foresight, prospicience, prevision, long- sightedness, anticipation, providence, forethought, forecast, predeliberation, presurmise, foregone conclusion, prudence, foreknowledge, prognosis, precognition, prescience, prenotion, presentiment, second sight, sagacity, antepast, prelibation, prophasis, prospect, foretaste, prospectus, foreseeing, prescient, farseeing, farsighted, sagacious, weatherwise, provident, prospective, against the time when, cernit omnia Deus vindex, mihi cura futuri, run it up the flagpole and see who salutes.

Painting

N painting, depicting, drawing, design, perspective, sciagraphy, skiagraphy, chiaroscuro, composition, treatment, historical painting, portrait painting, miniature painting, landscape painting, marine painting, still life, flower painting, scene painting, scenography, school, style, the grand style, high art, genre, portraiture, ornamental art, monochrome, polychrome, grisaille, pallet, palette, easel, brush, pencil, stump, black lead, charcoal, crayons, chalk, pastel, paint, watercolor, body color, oil color, oils, oil paint, varnish, priming, gouache, tempera, distemper, fresco, water glass, enamel, encaustic painting, mosaic, tapestry, photography, heliography, color photography, sun painting, graphics, computer graphics, picture, painting, piece, tableau, canvas, oil painting, fresco, cartoon, easel picture, cabinet picture, draught, draft, pencil drawing, water color drawing, etching, charcoal, pen-and-ink, sketch, outline, study, photograph, color photograph, black-and-white photograph, holograph, heliograph, daguerreotype, talbotype, calotype, heliotype, negative, positive, print, glossy print, matte print, enlargement, reduction, life-size print, instant photo, Polaroid photo, technicolor, Kodachrome, Ektachrome, Polaroid, portrait, whole length, full length, half length, kitcat, head, miniature, shade, silhouette, profile, landscape, seapiece, view, scene, prospect, panorama, diorama, still life, picture gallery, exhibit, studio, atelier, pinacotheca, painted, pictorial, graphic, picturesque, pencil, oil, in pencil, fecit, delineavit, mutum est pictura poema.