prŏpe, adv. and prep. [pro and demonstr suff. -pe (cf.: nempe, quippe), = Sanscr. -pa].
I Adv. ( comp. propius, and sup. proxime, v. under propior), near , nigh (class.).
A Lit., in space: quaenam vox mihi prope hic sonat? Quis hic loquitur prope? Plaut. Rud. 1, 4, 10: prope ad aliquem adire, id. Cas. 3, 5, 32: aedes accedere, id. Most. 2, 2, 16: prope alicubi esse, Cic. Fam. 9, 7, 1: intueri aliquid (opp. procul), id. Sen. 14, 48.—
2 With ab , near to , near by , hard by : bellum tam prope a Siciliā, Cic. Verr. 2, 5, 2, § 6: prope a meis aedibus, id. Pis. 11, 26: prope ab domo detineri, id. Verr. 2, 2, 3, § 6.—So, comp. : stellae, aliae propius a terris, etc., Cic. N. D. 1, 31, 87: propius visere mala reipublicae, Tac. A. 6, 26.—
B Transf.
1 In time, near , not far off : partus instabat prope, was near at hand , Ter. Ad. 307.—Esp. with quando , cum , ut , the time is near or not far off , when , etc.: prope est, quando herus pretium exsolvet, Plaut. Men. 5, 6, 25: prope adest, quom alieno more vivendum est mihi, Ter. And. 152: partitudo prope adest, ut fiat palam, Plaut. Aul. 2, 3, 9; Flor. 3, 17, 2: nox prope diremit colloquium, i. e. the approach of night , Liv. 34, 33, 3; cf. id. 32, 28, 7; 5, 16, 5.—
2 In degree, nearly , almost , about (cf.: pene, ferme, fere): ejus filiam ille amare coepit perdite, Prope jam ut pro uxore haberet, Ter. Heaut. 97; Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 4, § 10: prope funeratus Arboris ictu, Hor. C. 3, 8, 7: prope firmissima earum regionum civitas, Caes. B. G. 5, 20: annos prope nonaginta natus, Cic. Verr. 2, 3, 25, § 62: prope desperatis rebus, id. Fam. 7, 28, 1: sic prope oneratum est sinistrum cornu, ni, etc., Liv. 2, 65, 4; cf. id. 40, 32: prope est factum ut exirent, id. 25, 21: prope est ut aliquid fiat, something must be done , Dig. 35, 1, 67: prope perditae res, Liv. 5, 46, 7: Fidenae prope saepius captae, quam, etc., id. 4, 32, 2: prope desertum oppidum, id. 4, 51, 8.—After the word it qualifies: biennium prope, Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 25, § 62: princeps prope Stoicorum, id. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 33, 107: eisdem prope verbis, id. Leg. 2, 25, 64: his prope verbis id. Fin. 4, 6, 15: cursu prope Chalcidem contendit, Liv. 31, 24, 2: admirabilior prope, id. 22, 37, 3: omnes prope, id. 1, 14, 4; 23, 49, 14; 30, 30, 8.— Comp. : propius nihil est factum, quam ut, etc., Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 5, § 15: neque quidquam propius est factum, quam ut, etc., id. Clu. 21, 59.—
C Trop., comp. propius, with inspicio, considero, nosco, etc., more closely , better (post - Aug.): qualis esset ejus (mortis) velut propius inspectae natura, Sen. Ep. 30, 8: propius inspicere aliquem, id. ib. 5, 6: dixit futurum ut diviti displiceret propius inspectus, id. Contr. 2, 9, 21, B.; 4, 15, 3; 10, 95, 1: quam (lancem) cum Agamemnon propius consideraret, Petr. 1, 50: propius noscendum, Plin. Ep. 6, 16, 7; cf. penitus.—
II Prep. with acc.
A Lit., in space, near , near by , hard by : prope oppidum, Caes. B. G. 7, 36: prope hostium castra, id. ib. 1, 22: prope amnem, Verg. A. 8, 597: non modo prope me, sed plane mecum habitare, Cic. Fam. 7, 23, 4: sedens prope limina tecti, Ov. F. 1, 137.—
B Transf.
1 In time, nigh , towards , about : prope lucem, towards daybreak , Suet. Claud. 44.—
2 Of abstract proximity, near to , almost to , not far from : prope metum res fuerat, Liv. 1, 25 fin. : prope seditionem ventum est, Tac. H. 3, 21; Dig. 17, 1, 29.