persecute, prosecute — These look alikes have related but different meanings. To persecute is to harass, to torment, to treat badly, to bother, to worry, to oppress, to trouble: Some teen agers feel that their parents persecute them. Businessmen sometimes think that… … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
prosecute — See persecute. See persecute, prosecute … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
persecute — See persecute, prosecute … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
Persecute — Per se*cute, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Persecuted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Persecuting}.] [F. pers[ e]cueter, L. persequi, persecutus, to pursue, prosecute; per + sequi to follow, pursue. See {Per }, and {Second}.] 1. To pursue in a manner to injure, grieve … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
persecute — verb a) To pursue in a manner to injure, grieve, or afflict; to beset with cruelty or malignity; to harass; especially, to afflict, harass, punish, or put to death for ones race, sexual identity, adherence to a particular religious creed, or mode … Wiktionary
persecute — persecutingly, adv. persecutive, adj. persecutiveness, n. persecutor, n. persecutory /perr si kyooh teuh ree, kyeuh tawr ee, tohr ee/, adj. /perr si kyooht /, v.t., persecuted, persecuting. 1. to pursue with harassing or oppressive treatment, esp … Universalium
prosecute — verb a) To start civil or criminal proceedings against. b) To charge, try. See Also: nolle prosequi, persecute, prosecution … Wiktionary
persecute — per•se•cute [[t]ˈpɜr sɪˌkyut[/t]] v. t. cut•ed, cut•ing 1) to subject to harassing or cruel treatment, as because of religion, race, or beliefs; oppress 2) to annoy or trouble persistently • Etymology: 1400–50; back formation from persecutour… … From formal English to slang
sequence — [14] Sequence is at the centre of a large family of English words that go back ultimately to Latin sequī ‘follow’ (others include consecutive [17], consequence [14], ensue, obsequious [15], persecute [15], prosecute, pursue, second, sect,… … The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins
sue — [13] Sue, like its close relative pursue, originally meant ‘follow’ (‘My wickednesses ever follow me, as men may see the shadow a body sue’, Thomas Hoccleve, Complaint 1421). It comes via Anglo Norman suer from Vulgar Latin *sequere ‘follow’, an… … The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins
