What is "prevails"

Usage examples of "prevails".

I never yet made a single comfortable meal at an American hotel, or rose from my breakfast or dinner with that feeling of satisfaction which should, I think, be felt at such moments in a civilized land in which cookery prevails as an art.

The crisp silence of the seashore when absolute calm prevails is as different from the strained, sodden, padded silence of the jungle as the savour of olives from the raw insipidity of white of egg, for the cumbersome mantle of leafage is the surest stifler of noise, the truest cherisher of silence.

I admired also the silence of the audience, a thing truly wonderful to an Italian, for it is with great reason that people complain of the noise made in Italy while the artists are singing, and ridicule the silence which prevails through the house as soon as the dancers make their appearance on the stage.

There is not, indeed, a greater error than that which universally prevails among the vulgar, who, borrowing their opinion from some ignorant satirists, have affixed the character of lewdness to these times.

Around the table reigned that noisy hilarity which usually prevails at such a time among people sufficiently free from the demands of social position not to feel the trammels of etiquette.

The same custom prevails among the Circassians and the Samoyeds of Siberia.

A similar custom prevails in China: The emperor ploughs a few furrows, and twelve illustrious persons attend the plough after him.

And though this MANNER be chiefly talked of in the passion between the sexes, where the concealed magic is easily explained, yet surely much of it prevails in all our estimation of characters, and forms no inconsiderable part of personal merit.

I must observe, also, that I am well aware that this custom of adorning graves with flowers prevails in other countries besides England.

I do not think that the evil prevails to the same extent in America, either in Congress or in the State legislatures.

As regards Washington, this good result may be assisted by a salutary practice which, as I was assured, prevails there.

In Massachusetts universal suffrage now prevails, although it is not long since a low property qualification prevailed even in Massachusetts.

And this feeling, which seems to prevail among the people, prevails also in both Houses of Congress.

It prevails neither in the National or Federal courts of the United States, nor in the courts of any of the separate States.

A more sedate condition prevails in the demeanour of the birds, due peradventure to domestic responsibilities.