proofs - Definition of proofs at Define.com Dictionary and Thesaurus (define proofs)

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

1. Used in proving or testing; as, a proof load, or proof charge.

2. Firm or successful in resisting; as, proof against harm; waterproof; bombproof.

I . . . have found thee Proof against all temptation. --Milton.

This was a good, stout proof article of faith. --Burke.

3. Being of a certain standard as to strength; -- said of alcoholic liquors.

{Proof charge} (Firearms), a charge of powder and ball, greater than the service charge, fired in an arm, as a gun or cannon, to test its strength.

{Proof impression}. See under {Impression}.

{Proof load} (Engin.), the greatest load than can be applied to a piece, as a beam, column, etc., without straining the piece beyond the elastic limit.

{Proof sheet}. See {Proof}, noun, 5.

{Proof spirit} (Chem.), a strong distilled liquor, or mixture of alcohol and water, containing not less than a standard amount of alcohol. In the United States ''proof spirit is defined by law to be that mixture of alcohol and water which contains one half of its volume of alcohol, the alcohol when at a temperature of 60[deg] Fahrenheit being of specific gravity 0.7939 referred to water at its maximum density as unity. Proof spirit has at 60[deg] Fahrenheit a specific gravity of 0.93353, 100 parts by volume of the same consisting of 50 parts of absolute alcohol and 53.71 parts of water,'' the apparent excess of water being due to contraction of the liquids on mixture. In England proof spirit is defined by Act 58, George III., to be such as shall at a temperature of 51[deg] Fahrenheit weigh exactly the 12/13 part of an equal measure of distilled water. This contains 49.3 per cent by weight, or 57.09 by volume, of alcohol. Stronger spirits, as those of about 60, 70, and 80 per cent of alcohol, are sometimes called second, third, and fourth proof spirits respectively.

{Proof staff}, a straight-edge used by millers to test the flatness of a stone.

{Proof stick} (Sugar Manuf.), a rod in the side of a vacuum pan, for testing the consistency of the sirup.

{Proof text}, a passage of Scripture used to prove a doctrine.

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:

Proof \Proof\, noun [OF. prove, proeve, F. preuve, fr. L. proba, fr. probare to prove. See {Prove}.]

1. Any effort, process, or operation designed to establish or discover a fact or truth; an act of testing; a test; a trial.

For whatsoever mother wit or art Could work, he put in proof. --Spenser.

You shall have many proofs to show your skill. --Ford.

Formerly, a very rude mode of ascertaining the strength of spirits was practiced, called the proof. --Ure.

2. That degree of evidence which convinces the mind of any truth or fact, and produces belief; a test by facts or arguments that induce, or tend to induce, certainty of the judgment; conclusive evidence; demonstration.

I'll have some proof. --Shak.

It is no proof of a man's understanding to be able to confirm whatever he pleases. --Emerson.

Note: Properly speaking, proof is the effect or result of evidence, evidence is the medium of proof. Cf. {Demonstration}, 1.

3. The quality or state of having been proved or tried; firmness or hardness that resists impression, or does not yield to force; impenetrability of physical bodies.

4. Firmness of mind; stability not to be shaken.

5. (Print.) A trial impression, as from type, taken for correction or examination; -- called also {proof sheet}.

6. (Math.) A process for testing the accuracy of an operation performed. Cf. {Prove}, verb (used with an object), 5.

7. Armor of excellent or tried quality, and deemed impenetrable; properly, armor of proof. [Obs.] --Shak.

{Artist's proof}, a very early proof impression of an engraving, or the like; -- often distinguished by the artist's signature.

{Proof reader}, one who reads, and marks correction in, proofs. See def. 5, above.

Syn: Testimony; evidence; reason; argument; trial; demonstration. See {Testimony}.

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

proof

adjective

1: (used in combination or as a suffix) able to withstand; "temptation-proof"; "childproof locks" [syn: {proof(p)}]

noun

1: any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something; "if you have any proof for what you say, now is the time to produce it" [syn: {cogent evidence}]

2: a formal series of statements showing that if one thing is true something else necessarily follows from it

3: a measure of alcoholic strength expressed as an integer twice the percentage of alcohol present (by volume)

4: (printing) an impression made to check for errors [syn: {test copy}, {trial impression}]

5: a trial photographic print from a negative

6: the act of validating; finding or testing the truth of something [syn: {validation}, {substantiation}]

verb

1: make or take a proof of, such as a photographic negative, an etching, or typeset

2: knead to reach proper lightness; "proof dough"

3: read for errors; "I should proofread my manuscripts" [syn: {proofread}]

4: activate by mixing with water and sometimes sugar or milk; "proof yeast"

5: make resistant to water, sound, errors, etc.; "proof the materials against shrinking in the dryer"

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

278 Moby Thesaurus words for "proof": Christophany, Ditto copy, Photostat, Satanophany, Xerox, Xerox copy, absolute indication, account, acid test, acquaintance, affirmation, airtight, ammunition, angelophany, announcement, appearance, argument, assay, attestation, authentication, avatar, backing, backing up, ballproof, basis for belief, bearing out, blank determination, blue, blue book, blueprint, body of evidence, bolstering, bombproof, briefing, bring out, brouillon, bulletin, bulletproof, burden of proof, burglarproof, buttressing, certification, chain of evidence, circumstantiation, clue, cold-type proof, color proof, communication, communique, computer proof, conclusive evidence, confirmation, contact print, corroboration, corroboratory evidence, corrosionproof, criterion, crucial test, crucible, damning evidence, dampproof, data, datum, deduction, deductive reasoning, demonstration, determination, directory, disclosure, discourse, discourse of reason, discursive reason, dispatch, dissemination, docimasy, document, documentation, embodiment, engrave, enlargement, enlightenment, epiphany, essay, establishment, evidence, evincement, exhibit, expression, fact, facts, factual information, familiarization, feeling out, fire-resisting, fireproof, first draft, flameproof, foolproof, fortification, foundry proof, galley, galley proof, gen, general information, get out, ground, grounds, grounds for belief, guidebook, handout, hard information, hectograph, hectograph copy, hermetic, holeproof, impenetrable, impervious, impervious to, impregnable, impress, impression, imprint, incarnation, incidental information, incontrovertible evidence, indication, indisputable evidence, induction, inductive reasoning, info, information, instruction, insulate, intelligence, ironclad proof, issue, item of evidence, kiteflying, knowledge, leakproof, light, logical thought, manifestation, mark, material grounds, materialization, measure, mention, message, mimeograph, mimeograph copy, multigraph, muniments, mute witness, negative, noiseproof, notice, notification, offprint, onus, onus probandi, ordeal, overprint, page proof, philosophy, photocopy, photograph, photostatic copy, piece of evidence, plate proof, pneumatophany, positive, premises, presentation, press proof, print, probation, progressive proof, promotional material, proof against, proof before letter, proof sheet, protective, prove, proving, proving out, publication, publicity, publish, pull, pull a proof, punctureproof, put out, put to bed, put to press, ratification, ratiocination, rationalism, rationality, rationalization, rationalizing, reason, reason to believe, reasonableness, reasoning, reinforcement, reissue, release, relevant fact, report, reprint, repro proof, resistant, revelation, revise, rough draft, rough sketch, run, run off, rustproof, settlement, shatterproof, shellproof, sidelight, sign, slip, sophistry, sounding out, soundproof, specious reasoning, stamp, standard, stat, statement, stone proof, strengthening, strike, strong, substantiation, support, supporting evidence, sure sign, sweet reason, symptom, tempered, test, test case, testament, testimonial, testimony, the dope, the goods, the know, the scoop, theophany, tight, token, touchstone, tough, transmission, trial, trial impression, try, undergirding, unmistakable sign, validation, vandyke, verification, waterproof, watertight, weatherproof, wherefore, white book, white paper, why, whyfor, witness, word

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

proof

1. A {finite} sequence of {well-formed formula}s, F1, F2, ... Fn, where each Fi either is an {axiom}, or follows by some rule of inference from some of the previous F's, and Fn is the statement being proved. See also {proof theory}. 2. A left-associative {natural language} {parser} by Craig R. Latta . Ported to {Decstation 3100}, {Sun-4}. {(ftp://scam.berkeley.edu/pub/src/local/proof/)}. E-mail: . Mailing list: proof-requestf@xcf.berkeley.edu (Subject: add me). (1994-11-29)

PROOF, noun Evidence having a shade more of plausibility than of unlikelihood. The testimony of two credible witnesses as opposed to that of only one.

PROOF-:READER:, noun A malefactor who atones for making your writing nonsense by permitting the compositor to make it unintelligible.