provecte, advanced; ‘Provecte in yeres’, Sir T. Elyot, Governour, bk. i, c. 4, § 3. L. provectus, pp.
providence, foresight, timely care. Massinger, New Way to Pay, iii. 2 (Overreach); Shirley, Hyde Park, iii. 1. 5.
provincial garland, a garland given to one who had added a province to the Roman Empire. Ford, Broken Heart, i. 2 (Calanthia).
prowest, most valiant. Spenser, F. Q. i. 4. 41; ii. 8. 18. OF. prou, valiant (Bartsch). See Dict. (s.v. Prowess).
prune, the fruit. Stewed prunes, often referred to as being a favourite dish in brothels. Meas. for M. ii. 1. 93; 1 Hen. IV, iii. 3. 128; cp. Fletcher, Mad Lover, iv. 5 (Eumenes). Spelt proin, in proin-stone, Peele, Sir Clyomon (ed. Dyce, p. 500).
prune; see [proin].
pry, prie, a local name of the small-leaved lime (Tilia parvifolia). Tusser, Husbandry, § 35. 15. An Essex word, see EDD. (sv. Pry, sb.1 4).
ptrow, interj., tut! an exclamation of contempt. Heywood, Jupiter and Io, vol. vi, p. 267, l. 3.
Pucelle. Joan la Pucelle, Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orleans, 1 Hen. VI, i. 4. 101; i. 6. 3. F. pucelle, a maid, virgin.
puckfist, puckfoist, the fungus usually called a puff-ball. Beaumont and Fl., Custom of the Country, i. 2 (Rutilio); B. Jonson, Poetaster, iv. 5 (Tucca). Named after ‘Puck’. See [pouke]. A common prov. word (EDD.). The ‘puff-ball’ was also called Bull-fist, Puff-fist, and Wolf’s-fist, see Cotgrave (s.v. Vesse de loup); see NED. (s.v. Fist).