English word origin

Etymology of pross

Clipping of prostitute, with a doubled s as a pronunciation spelling (compare pros).

1 source sectionBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 1 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology

Original entry ↗

noun

A prostitute.

verb

To sponge or scrounge; to take advantage of a person's generosity.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping of prostitute, with a doubled s as a pronunciation spelling (compare pros).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "clipping",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "prostitute"
      },
      "expansion": "Clipping of prostitute"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "prostitute",
      "prostitute#English"
    ],
    [
      "s",
      "s#English"
    ],
    [
      "pros",
      "pros"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A prostitute."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang"
      ],
      "recordId": "14e4e958cbaad3a1080531069ecbf9ed3e17e6b8ce35a84d428a5e9800ecfce7",
      "rawRecordSha256": "93c8a9fe3d278685103913b4e166d1eca895ca287c39727481e2e3125e527d4e",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 5398332
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To sponge or scrounge; to take advantage of a person's generosity."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "UK",
        "obsolete",
        "slang"
      ],
      "recordId": "e4eebb54515ddb9d937d323a7ad47f7894006e2fa7c0c04854c02b5976e3df76",
      "rawRecordSha256": "004b1dd7c69c691d26d5b8dc5eb7d5d09f82f43654932fe370bbc83044bb78a5",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 5398333
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for pross →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-cHJvc3M