prose
UK[prəʊz]US[proʊz]
n
Written or spoken language in its ordinary form, without metrical structure.
n
A passage of this kind of language, or a piece of writing that is not poetry.
Etymology
The word 'prose' originates from the Latin phrase 'prōsa ōrātiō', which literally meant 'straightforward speech' ('prōsa' being the feminine form of 'prōsus', meaning 'straightforward' or 'direct'). This term was used to distinguish ordinary, direct discourse from the more structured and metrical 'versus' (turned speech) of poetry. The Latin 'prōsus' evolved from 'prōversus', the past participle of 'prōvertere' meaning 'to turn forward'. Thus, the core logic of prose is language that goes straight forward without the 'turns' or measured lines of verse. Over time, the elliptical 'prōsa' alone came to signify all non-poetic language, carrying its fundamental sense of direct, unadorned expression into modern English.
Analysis
The word is a simplex. It is a direct loan from Latin, where it functioned as a noun/adjective. The Latin root 'prōsa' is itself an elliptical form of 'prōsa ōrātiō', meaning 'straightforward or direct speech'.
Examples
The novel was written in clear, elegant prose.
He can discuss complex scientific ideas in simple prose.
The assignment required converting the poem into prose.