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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Prorogue

Prorogue \Pro*rogue"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prorogued; p. pr. & vb. n. Proroguing.] [F. proroger, L. prorogare, prorogatum; pro forward + rogare to ask, to ask one for his opinion or vote, or about a law. See Rogation.]

  1. To protract; to prolong; to extend. [Obs.]

    He prorogued his government.
    --Dryden.

  2. To defer; to delay; to postpone; as, to proroguedeath; to prorogue a marriage.
    --Shak.

  3. To end the session of a parliament by an order of the sovereign, thus deferring its business.

    Parliament was prorogued to [meet at] Westminster.
    --Bp. Hall.

    The Parliament was again prorogued to a distant day.
    --Macaulay.

    Syn: To adjourn; postpone; defer. See Adjourn.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
prorogue

early 15c., "to prolong, extend," from Old French proroger, proroguer (14c.), from Latin prorogare, literally "to ask publicly," from pro "before" (see pro-) + rogare "to ask" (see rogation). Perhaps the original sense in Latin was "to ask for public assent to extending someone's term in office." Legislative meaning "discontinue temporarily" is attested from mid-15c. Related: Prorogation.

Wiktionary
prorogue

vb. 1 (context obsolete English) To prolong or extend. (15th-18th c.) 2 (context transitive now rare English) To defer. (from 15th c.) 3 (context transitive English) To suspend (a parliamentary session) or to discontinue the meetings of (an assembly, parliament etc.) without formally ending the session. (from 15th c.)

WordNet
prorogue
  1. v. hold back to a later time; "let's postpone the exam" [syn: postpone, hold over, put over, table, shelve, set back, defer, remit, put off]

  2. adjourn by royal prerogative; without dissolving the legislative body

Usage examples of "prorogue".

And although he may give his answer at once, and at once proceed to issue his apostils if he is very expert and experienced, yet it is better to act with caution, and fix a term of ten or twenty or twenty-five days, reserving to himself the right to prorogue the hearing of the appeal up to the legal limit of time.

Having done all this, early in December the provincial congress of Massachusets prorogued themselves, appointing a new meeting in the ensuing month of February.

Turning up the deep astrachan collar of his long coat, the stranger swept out of the shop, with the air, Miss Fritten afterwards described it, of a Satrap proroguing a Sanhedrim.

Guy Flouncey could no more presume to think of that than of attempting to prorogue Parliament.

Tenure of a propraetorship was usually for one year, but could be prorogued.

President of the Republic dissolves the Assembly, prorogues it, or obstructs the exercise of its authority, is a crime of High Treason.

The Commons and the people being violent against him, the King was made (by his friends) to interpose to save him, by banishing him for five years, and proroguing the Parliament.

There were few diseases on the Balloon, and the doctors had found ways of proroguing death.