Other forms: prizes, prized
A prize is what you receive for winning. Win a prize, first prize, a prize for effort.
It is awarded for winning or for merit, which distinguishes it from a reward, given for a service, and a trophy, which is the object itself. As a verb, to prize is to value highly: a prized possession. Note the American spelling prise for the lever sense, which in Britain is spelt prise and is a separate word; and that prize once meant booty taken at sea.
1nounprizeWhat you receive for winning.
“She won first prize in the photography competition.”
2verbvalueTo value something highly.
“This old watch was my grandfather's, and I prize it above everything else I own.”
Too few real examples of this word to estimate which sense is commonest.
prize is an award.
Also accepted in games: award
Old French prise means a taking or a capture, from prendre, to take. A prize was captured booty first, and the sense of an award followed from prizes at sea.
Latin
prēndō — to take, seize
Old French
prise — a taking, capture, a seizure, a thing seized, a prize, booty, also hold, purchase
Middle English
prise
English, today
prize
Built from
From Middle English prise, from Old French prise (“a taking, capture, a seizure, a thing seized, a prize, booty, also hold, purchase”), past participle of prendre (“to take, to capture”), from Latin prēndō (“to take, seize”); see prehend. Compare prison, apprise, comprise, enterprise, purprise, reprisal, surprise, etc. a doublet of prise.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA