n. [ See Approve, and Proof. ] 1. Trial; proof. [ Archaic ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Approval; commendation. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Incapable of being penetrated by balls from firearms; bulletproof. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

1. Among distillers, a certain degree of strength in alcoholic liquor, as formerly ascertained by the floating or sinking of glass globules of different specific gravities thrown into it; now ascertained by more accurate meters. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A degree of strength in alcoholic liquor as shown by beads or small bubbles remaining on its surface, or at the side of the glass, when shaken. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Secure against the explosive force of bombs. -- n. A structure which heavy shot and shell will not penetrate. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Capable of resisting the force of a bullet; resistant to penetration by a bullet; armored; as, a bulletproof vest; a bulletproof window. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

2. designed so as to be resistant to abuse or misuse and incapable of malfunction under normal use; as, a bulletproof computer program. [ PJC ]

3. so well thought out as to be resistant to criticism or certain to succeed; as, a bulletproof plan. [ PJC ]

adj. secure against burglary.
Syn. -- burglar-proof. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Pref. dis- + proof. Cf. Disprove. ] A proving to be false or erroneous; confutation; refutation; as, to offer evidence in disproof of a statement. [ 1913 Webster ]

I need not offer anything farther in support of one, or in disproof of the other. Rogers. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Proof against fire; incombustible. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act or process of rendering anything incombustible; also, the materials used in the process. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. not susceptible to burning; noncombustible; fireproof; -- of artifacts. Opposite of combustible.
Syn. -- flame-retardant. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. such as will function properly even if treated badly or ineptly; foolproof; -- of devices, plans, recipes, etc.; as, nothing running under Windows is completely goofproof.
Syn. -- foolproof. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

v. t. To design (a device or plan of action) so that it will function properly even if treated badly or executed ineptly; foolproof.
Syn. -- foolproof. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

adj. resistant to penetration by grease or oil or wax; as, greaseproof wrapping paper. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. 1. Highly rectified; very strongly alcoholic; as, high-proof spirits. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. So as to stand any test. “We are high-proof melancholy.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. resistant to runs or (in Britain) ladders; -- of hosiery.
Syn. -- runproof, run-resistant. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

adj. having no leaks.
Syn. -- watertight. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Containing more alcohol than proof spirit; stronger than proof spirit; that is, containing more than 49.3 per cent by weight of alcohol. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Secure against harm by plots. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Print.) (a) The last proof for correction before sending to press. (b) A proof taken on a press, esp. to show impression, margins, color, etc. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ OF. prove, proeve, F. preuve, fr. L. proba, fr. probare to prove. See Prove. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Any effort, process, or operation designed to establish or discover a fact or truth; an act of testing; a test; a trial. [ 1913 Webster ]

For whatsoever mother wit or art
Could work, he put in proof. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

You shall have many proofs to show your skill. Ford. [ 1913 Webster ]

Formerly, a very rude mode of ascertaining the strength of spirits was practiced, called the proof. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That degree of evidence which convinces the mind of any truth or fact, and produces belief; a test by facts or arguments that induce, or tend to induce, certainty of the judgment; conclusive evidence; demonstration. [ 1913 Webster ]

I'll have some proof. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is no proof of a man's understanding to be able to confirm whatever he pleases. Emerson. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Properly speaking, proof is the effect or result of evidence, evidence is the medium of proof. Cf. Demonstration, 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The quality or state of having been proved or tried; firmness or hardness that resists impression, or does not yield to force; impenetrability of physical bodies. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Firmness of mind; stability not to be shaken. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Print.) A trial impression, as from type, taken for correction or examination; -- called also proof sheet. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Math.) A process for testing the accuracy of an operation performed. Cf. Prove, v. t., 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Armor of excellent or tried quality, and deemed impenetrable; properly, armor of proof. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Artist's proof, a very early proof impression of an engraving, or the like; -- often distinguished by the artist's signature. --
Proof reader, one who reads, and marks correction in, proofs. See def. 5, above. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Testimony; evidence; reason; argument; trial; demonstration. See Testimony. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Used in proving or testing; as, a proof load, or proof charge. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Firm or successful in resisting; as, proof against harm; waterproof; bombproof. [ 1913 Webster ]

I . . . have found thee
Proof against all temptation. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

This was a good, stout proof article of faith. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Being of a certain standard as to strength; -- said of alcoholic liquors. [ 1913 Webster ]

Proof charge (Firearms), a charge of powder and ball, greater than the service charge, fired in an arm, as a gun or cannon, to test its strength. --
Proof impression. See under Impression. --
Proof load (Engin.), the greatest load than can be applied to a piece, as a beam, column, etc., without straining the piece beyond the elastic limit. --
Proof sheet. See Proof, n., 5. --
Proof spirit (Chem.), a strong distilled liquor, or mixture of alcohol and water, containing not less than a standard amount of alcohol. In the United States “proof spirit is defined by law to be that mixture of alcohol and water which contains one half of its volume of alcohol, the alcohol when at a temperature of 60° Fahrenheit being of specific gravity 0.7939 referred to water at its maximum density as unity. Proof spirit has at 60° Fahrenheit a specific gravity of 0.93353, 100 parts by volume of the same consisting of 50 parts of absolute alcohol and 53.71 parts of water, ” the apparent excess of water being due to contraction of the liquids on mixture. In England proof spirit is defined by Act 58, George III., to be such as shall at a temperature of 51° Fahrenheit weigh exactly the 12/13 part of an equal measure of distilled water. This contains 49.3 per cent by weight, or 57.09 by volume, of alcohol. Stronger spirits, as those of about 60, 70, and 80 per cent of alcohol, are sometimes called second, third, and fourth proof spirits respectively. --
Proof staff, a straight-edge used by millers to test the flatness of a stone. --
Proof stick (Sugar Manuf.), a rod in the side of a vacuum pan, for testing the consistency of the sirup. --
Proof text, a passage of Scripture used to prove a doctrine. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To arm with proof armor; to arm securely; as, to proof-arm herself. [ R. ] Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Wanting sufficient evidence to induce belief; not proved. Boyle. -- Proof"less*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

a. Proof against proofs; obstinate in the wrong. “That might have shown to any one who was not proof-proof.” Whateley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Also . (Engraving) (a) A small design etched on the margin of a plate and supposed to be removed after the earliest proofs have been taken; also, any feature distinguishing a particular stage of the plate. (b) A print or proof so distinguished; -- commonly called a . [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ OE. reproef. See Proof, Reprove. ] 1. Refutation; confutation; contradiction. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An expression of blame or censure; especially, blame expressed to the face; censure for a fault; chiding; reproach. [ 1913 Webster ]

Those best can bear reproof who merit praise. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Admonition; reprehension; chiding; reprimand; rebuke; censure; blame. See Admonition. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of reproving one's self; censure of one's conduct by one's own judgment. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Half proof; evidence from the testimony of a single witness. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Shameless. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of resisting bombs or other shells; bombproof. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Impenetrable by shot. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Undiscoverable to sight. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hidden in their own sightproof bush. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Mil.) Proof against the splinters, or fragments, of bursting shells. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Impervious to the light of the stars; as, a starproof elm. [ Poetic ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Impervious to the rays of the sun. “Darksome yew, sunproof.” Marston. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Secure against the effects of thunder or lightning. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Containing less alcohol than proof spirit. See Proof spirit, under Spirit. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Valor tried by war. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Proof against penetration or permeation by water; impervious to water; as, a waterproof garment; a waterproof roof. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A substance or preparation for rendering cloth, leather, etc., impervious to water. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Cloth made waterproof, or any article made of such cloth, or of other waterproof material, as rubber; esp., an outer garment made of such material. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To render impervious to water, as cloth, leather, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act or process of making waterproof. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Same as Waterproof, n., 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Proof against rough weather. [ 1913 Webster ]