From Middle English proppe (“a prop, support, support for a vine or plant”), from Middle Dutch proppe (“support, support for a vine, stopper for a bottle”). Compare Middle Low German proppe (“plug, stopper”), German Pfropfen (“plug”), Danish prop (“plug, stopper”).
Meanings
An object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports.
They stuck a block of wood under it as a prop.
The player on either side of the hooker in a scrum.
cy prop (rugby: player next to the hooker in a scrum) · ar سِنَاد (object placed against or under another, to support it) · oc pièja (object placed against or under another, to support it) · ca pilar (rugby: player next to the hooker in a scrum) · fi tuki (object placed against or under another, to support it) · fi kannatin (object placed against or under another, to support it) · oc pilon (rugby: player next to the hooker in a scrum) · af stut (rugby: player next to the hooker in a scrum) · ar دِعَامَة (object placed against or under another, to support it) · gl sopostallo (object placed against or under another, to support it) · pt escora (object placed against or under another, to support it) · fr cale (object placed against or under another, to support it) · de Unterstützung (object placed against or under another, to support it) · ta முட்டுக்கால் (object placed against or under another, to support it) · sv stötta (object placed against or under another, to support it) · es pilar (rugby: player next to the hooker in a scrum) · es empenta (object placed against or under another, to support it) · pt amparo (object placed against or under another, to support it) · fa تکیهگاه (object placed against or under another, to support it) · ota دستك (object placed against or under another, to support it) · fr support (object placed against or under another, to support it) · grc ἔρεισμα (object placed against or under another, to support it) · es estribadero (object placed against or under another, to support it) · pl oparcie (object placed against or under another, to support it) · es sostén (object placed against or under another, to support it) · sa धर्त्र (object placed against or under another, to support it) · hu támasz (object placed against or under another, to support it) · fa پادیر (object placed against or under another, to support it) · gl pear (rugby: player next to the hooker in a scrum) · ota دیرك (object placed against or under another, to support it) · es puntal (object placed against or under another, to support it) · bg подпора (object placed against or under another, to support it) · fr soutien (object placed against or under another, to support it) · ru подста́вка (object placed against or under another, to support it) · ru опо́ра (object placed against or under another, to support it) · fi pönkkä (object placed against or under another, to support it) · gl arxón (object placed against or under another, to support it) · pl podpórka (object placed against or under another, to support it) · sv stöd (object placed against or under another, to support it) · uk опора (object placed against or under another, to support it) · ar رَكِيزَة (object placed against or under another, to support it) · hu támaszték (object placed against or under another, to support it) · la firmāmentum (object placed against or under another, to support it) · pl stojak (object placed against or under another, to support it) · oc pilar (rugby: player next to the hooker in a scrum) · sw nguzo (object placed against or under another, to support it) · la pālus (object placed against or under another, to support it) · la fulcīmen (object placed against or under another, to support it) · es apeo (object placed against or under another, to support it) · fa پایه (object placed against or under another, to support it) · pl podstawka (object placed against or under another, to support it) · es tornapunta (object placed against or under another, to support it) · mi pou (rugby: player next to the hooker in a scrum) · ga gabháil (object placed against or under another, to support it) · cs vzpěra (object placed against or under another, to support it) · es apoyo (object placed against or under another, to support it) · fr pillier (rugby: player next to the hooker in a scrum) · kix thīng (object placed against or under another, to support it) · cs pilíř (rugby: player next to the hooker in a scrum) · pt apoio (object placed against or under another, to support it) · de Stütze (object placed against or under another, to support it) · it sostegno (object placed against or under another, to support it) · pl podpora (object placed against or under another, to support it) · oc supòrt (object placed against or under another, to support it) · gl escora (object placed against or under another, to support it) · it pilone (rugby: player next to the hooker in a scrum) · uk підпора (object placed against or under another, to support it) · gl rodriga (object placed against or under another, to support it) · cs podpěra (object placed against or under another, to support it) · ota پاینده (object placed against or under another, to support it) · gl esteo (object placed against or under another, to support it) · ar عِمَاد (object placed against or under another, to support it) · es paral (object placed against or under another, to support it) · te ఊత (object placed against or under another, to support it) · pl ostoja (object placed against or under another, to support it) · mi tauteka (object placed against or under another, to support it) · it puntello (object placed against or under another, to support it)
From Middle English proppe (“a prop, support, support for a vine or plant”), from Middle Dutch proppe (“support, support for a vine, stopper for a bottle”). Compare Middle Low German proppe (“plug, stopper”), German Pfropfen (“plug”), Danish prop (“plug, stopper”).
Meanings
(figuratively, sometimes, transitive) To support or shore up something.
Try using a phone book to prop up the table where the foot is missing.
(intransitive) To play rugby in the prop position.
(transitive, usually, with "up" - see prop up) To position the feet of (a person) while sitting, lying down, or reclining so that the knees are elevated at a higher level.
(Australia, New-Zealand, intransitive) To stop suddenly or unexpectedly; derived from the situation where a horse might suddenly halt of its own accord, digging its front hooves into the ground to brace itself from forward movement, potentially unseating its rider.
(UK, obsolete, slang, transitive) To knock (a person) down.
We used to go out into the roads (highway robbery) between races, and if we met an ‘old bloke’ (man) we ‘propped him’ (knocked him down), and robbed him. 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, published 1861:
An item placed on a stage or set to create a scene or scenario in which actors perform.
They used the trophy as a prop in the movie.
(colloquial) An item placed on a stage or set to create a scene or scenario in which actors perform. ▸ A fake or fabricated version of an object, whether or not it is used for a scene.
We threw a prop squirrel off of a tower.
An item placed within an advertisement in order to suggest a style of living etc.
You can use props in a literal way to enhance the story, such as shooting a woodworker amidst woodworking tools. 2006, Michael Grecco, Lighting and the Dramatic Portrait, Amphoto Books, →ISBN, page 109:
es aplique (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · nl rekwisiet (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · pl rekwizyt (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · pt objeto de cena (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · fi rekvisiitta (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · ga prapa (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · nb rekvisitt (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · de Accessoire (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · es atrezzo (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · cs rekvizita (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · hu kellék (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · tr aksesuar (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · eo rekvizito (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · bg реквизит (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · ja 持ち道具 (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · ca utillatge (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · cy prop (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · pt acessório (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · es atrezo (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · de Requisite (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · fr accessoire (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · ru реквизит (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · de Requisit (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · es utilería (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · de Ausstattung (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · fi proppi (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · sv rekvisita (item placed on a stage to create a scene) · it oggetto di scena (item placed on a stage to create a scene)
es hélice (propeller of an aircraft) · de Propeller (propeller of an aircraft) · fi potkuri (propeller of an aircraft) · uk пропелер (propeller of an aircraft) · cs vrtule (propeller of an aircraft)
To manually start the engine of a propeller-driven aircraft with no electric starter by pulling vigorously on one of the propeller blades using the hands, so that the propeller can catch ignition.
(US) A proposition, especially on an election-day ballot.
“Watch how totally dishonest the California Prop vote is!” Trump fumed on Truth Social over the weekend. 2025 October 27, Russell Berman, quoting Donald Trump, “‘California Is Allowed to Hit Back’”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 04 Nov 2025:
John Aubrey Douglass, a senior research fellow at the Center for Studies in Higher Education at Berkeley, said that while he was not an insider on admissions practices, “my sense is that admissions is highly regulated and careful to stay clear of Prop 209 restrictions, and the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action.” 2025 February 3, Anemona Hartocollis, “The University of California Increased Diversity. Now It’s Being Sued.”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 04 Feb 2025: