▪ I. proˈlong, n. Sc. rare—1.
[= obs. F. prolong a delay (1542 in Godef.), f. prolonger to prolong.]
† 1. Delay, procrastination. Obs.
| c 1470 Henry Wallace viii. 179 Bot mar prolong throuch Lammermur thai raid. |
2. A prolongation.
| 1905 Electrochem. & Metall. Industry III. 9/1 This product..is a by-product with the European smelters, who use sheet-iron ‘prolongs’ on the condensers to collect it. |
▪ II. prolong, v.
(prəʊˈlɒŋ)
[Late ME. prolonge, a. OF. prolonguer (13th c. in Littré), variant of F. prolonger (prolongier, 1219 in Godef. Compl.), ad. late L. prōlongāre (in Vulgate, etc.) to lengthen, extend (f. prō, pro-1 + long-us long), which gradually displaced the earlier OF. forms porloignier and proloignier to put away, defer (see proloyne, purloin).]
1. trans. To lengthen out in time; to extend in duration; to cause to continue or last longer; to continue, carry on.
| 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) IV. 193 Iulius Cesar..prolongede his office [L. protelavit dignitatem suam] by his awne autorite by v. yere foloenge. 1525 Aberdeen Regr. (1844) I. 111 To set and prolong all and syndrie their fischings and takis, baitht to burgh and to land, now waikand and beand in thair handis. 1533 Elyot Cast. Helthe (1541) 35 b, Pollio prolonged his lyfe certayne dayes with the evaporation of honye. 1697 Dryden Virg. Past. iv. 65 To sing thy Praise, wou'd Heav'n my Breath prolong. 1738 Wesley Ps. civ. iv. ix, In praising God, while He prolongs My Breath, I will that Breath employ. 1819 Byron Juan ii. clxxvi, Now she prolong'd her visits and her talk. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. xiii. III. 253 To prolong the inter⁓regnum till the autumn. |
† 2. To extend (time or a period) so as to cause delay; to protract, ‘waste’. Obs.
| 1426 Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 24070, I..abyde, and synge alway ‘cras, cras’, makyng many fals delayes, and prolonge forth my dayes, forto Resorten hom ageyn. c 1460 J. Metham Wks. (E.E.T.S.) 64 Qwerto prolonge I the tyme? sythyn yt must nedys be That I schal dye. 1530 Palsgr. 667/2 He dothe naught els but prolonge the tyme, il ne fait aultre chose que alonger, or prolonguer le temps. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 16 Set to the vttermost of your might, that we prolong no time. |
† 3. To delay, postpone, put off. Obs.
| 1412–20 Lydg. Chron. Troy i. 1442 Lawly besechyng þat ȝe nat prolonge My purpos now, and maketh no delay. a 1547 Surrey æneid iv. 420 But wherto now shold I prolong my death? 1558 Bp. Watson Sev. Sacram. xvi. 104 Wee saye with the wicked seruaunt, my Lord prolongeth his commynge. 1681 Rycaut tr. Gracian's Critick 218 Much displeased to hear of his departure,..she..advised him to prolong it, until a time of better conveniency. 1785 J. Phillips Treat. Inland Navig. 44 The difference of expence..cannot now be an object considerable enough to prolong so noble and useful an undertaking. |
† b. To put off, defer, detain, keep waiting (a person). Obs.
| 1412–20 Lydg. Chron. Troy. i. 3126 Þe kyng requeryng no lenger hym prolonge But goodly graunt þe fyn of his emprise. 1552 T. Gresham in Strype Eccl. Mem. (1721) II. ii. App. C. 146 That they [the Council] would have them [the king's creditors] prolonged for another year. |
† c. To prorogue (parliament): see prorogue 2.
| 1485 Plumpton Corr. (Camden) 48 On the satterday after our Lady day, the Parlament was prolonged unto the xxvii day of January, & then it begineth againe. 1649 Milton Eikon. 4 He never promoted the true end of Parlaments, but put them off, and prolonged them. |
† d. To postpone payment of (a debt). Obs.
| 1552 T. Gresham in Strype Eccl. Mem. (1721) II. ii. App. C. 148 He is content to prolong the 10000.l. due to the 20{supt}{suph} of November for six month. |
† 4. intr. To delay, to put off. Also with infin.
| c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 167 He..that dothe prolong and tarye Withe fayre behestis, and from his promyse varie. 1555 Eden Decades 2 He..appeased theyr furie, and prolonged day after day. 1598 R. Grenewey Tacitus' Ann. vi. x. (1622) 137 Perceiuing that they prolonged from one day to another. 1623 Lisle Test. Antiq., Sax. Serm. Easter day 14 Prolong not to turne unto God, lest the time passe away through thy slow tarrying. |
5. trans. To lengthen the pronunciation of (a word or syllable); to draw out (a sound).
| c 1560 in Anglia XIII. 464 In y⊇ latter ende of y⊇ syllable to prolong the sounde. 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie ii. xii. (Arb.) 132 Rules of shortning and prolonging a sillable. 1761 Gray Fatal Sisters 60 Far and wide the notes prolong. 1810 Scott Lady of L. i. xx, ‘Father!’ she cried; the rocks around Loved to prolong the gentle sound. |
6. To extend in spatial length; to make longer, lengthen out. rare before 19th c.
| 1573–80 Baret Alv. P 756 To Prolong, to drawe in length, to stretch out. 1755 Johnson, Prolong, 1. To lengthen out; to continue; to draw out. 1796 [see prolonged]. 1828–32 Webster, Prolong,..4. To extend in space or length. 1849 Lyell 2nd Visit U.S. (1850) II. 258 We know not how much farther north or south the motion [the rise of the land] may be prolonged under water. 1860 Tyndall Glac. i. xi. 77 Up to which the fault..had prolonged itself as a crevasse. |
b. To extend in scope or range. rare.
| 1880 Geol. Surv. U.S. in Nature XXI. 197/2 To authorise the work of the Survey to be prolonged into States adjoining the Territories. |
c. intr. To lengthen out; to extend.
| 1816 Byron Ch. Har. iii. cix, This page which from my reveries I feed, Until it seems prolonging without end. |
† 7. trans. To put away, remove. refl. To make off with oneself; to stay away, absent oneself; = purloin v. 1. Obs. rare.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 417/1 Purlongyn, or prolongyn, or put fer a-wey, prolongo, alieno. 1591 in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. v. 452 From his servyce nether by day nor by nyght shall absent or prolong himself. |