Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Prove \Prove\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Proved}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Proving}.] [OE. prover, F. prouver, fr. L. probare to try,
   approve, prove, fr. probus good, proper. Cf. {Probable},
   {Proof}, {Probe}.]
   1. To try or to ascertain by an experiment, or by a test or
      standard; to test; as, to prove the strength of gunpowder
      or of ordnance; to prove the contents of a vessel by a
      standard measure.

            Thou hast proved mine heart.          --Ps. xvii. 3.

   2. To evince, establish, or ascertain, as truth, reality, or
      fact, by argument, testimony, or other evidence.

            They have inferred much from slender premises, and
            conjectured when they could not prove. --J. H.
                                                  Newman.

   3. To ascertain or establish the genuineness or validity of;
      to verify; as, to prove a will.

   4. To gain experience of the good or evil of; to know by
      trial; to experience; to suffer.

            Where she, captived long, great woes did prove.
                                                  --Spenser.

   5. (Arith.) To test, evince, ascertain, or verify, as the
      correctness of any operation or result; thus, in
      subtraction, if the difference between two numbers, added
      to the lesser number, makes a sum equal to the greater,
      the correctness of the subtraction is proved.

   6. (Printing) To take a trial impression of; to take a proof
      of; as, to prove a page.

   Syn: To try; verify; justify; confirm; establish; evince;
        manifest; show; demonstrate.

Prove \Prove\, v. i.
   1. To make trial; to essay.

   2. To be found by experience, trial, or result; to turn out
      to be; as, a medicine proves salutary; the report proves
      false. ``The case proves mortal.'' --Arbuthnot.

            So life a winter's morn may prove.    --Keble.

   3. To succeed; to turn out as expected. [Obs.] ``The
      experiment proved not.'' --Bacon.

Source : WordNet®

prove
     v 1: be shown or be found to be; "She proved to be right"; "The
          medicine turned out to save her life"; "She turned up
          HIV positive" [syn: {turn out}, {turn up}]
     2: establish the validity of something, as by an example,
        explanation or experiment; "The experiment demonstrated
        the instability of the compound"; "The mathematician
        showed the validity of the conjecture" [syn: {demonstrate},
         {establish}, {show}, {shew}] [ant: {disprove}]
     3: provide evidence for; "The blood test showed that he was the
        father"; "Her behavior testified to her incompetence"
        [syn: {testify}, {bear witness}, {evidence}, {show}]
     4: prove formally; demonstrate by a mathematical, formal proof
     5: put to the test, as for its quality, or give experimental
        use to; "This approach has been tried with good results";
        "Test this recipe" [syn: {test}, {try}, {try out}, {examine},
         {essay}]
     6: increase in volume; "the dough rose slowly in the warm room"
        [syn: {rise}]
     7: cause to puff up with a leaven; "unleavened bread" [syn: {raise},
         {leaven}]
     8: take a trial impression of
     9: obtain probate of; "prove a will"
     [also: {proven}]