v.tr.

2. To promise or affirm earnestly, as after being doubted: "He continually protested his profound respect" (Frank Norris).

3. Law To declare an objection and reservation of rights of (a claim being made) while taking an action that would otherwise imply consent or agreement.

4. Archaic To proclaim or make known: "unrough youths that even now / Protest their first of manhood" (Shakespeare).

v.intr.

2. To make an earnest avowal or affirmation.

n. (prō′tĕst′)

1. A formal declaration of disapproval or objection issued by a concerned person, group, or organization.

2. A public demonstration or organized effort to show disapproval about something, especially a governmental policy or practice.

3. Law A declaration of objection and reservation of rights, made when action would otherwise imply consent or agreement: payment under protest.

n

2. a declaration or objection that is formal or solemn

3. an expression of disagreement or complaint: without a squeak of protest.

5. (Nautical Terms) a statement made by the master of a vessel attesting to the circumstances in which his vessel was damaged or imperilled

6. the act of protesting

7. under protest having voiced objections; unwillingly

vb

8. (when: intr, foll by against, at, about, etc; when tr, may take a clause as object) to make a strong objection (to something, esp a supposed injustice or offence)

9. (when tr, may take a clause as object) to assert or affirm in a formal or solemn manner

10. (when tr, may take a clause as object) to put up arguments against; disagree; complain; object: "I'm okay," she protested; he protested that it was not his turn to wash up.

11. (tr) chiefly US to object forcefully to: leaflets protesting Dr King's murder.

12. (Banking & Finance) (tr) to declare formally that (a bill of exchange or promissory note) has been dishonoured

(See also REBELLION.)

anvil chorus Clamorous, vociferous protest on the part of many; clangorous complaining; squawking. The anvil is an imitative percussive instrument consisting of steel bars and a striker, used largely in opera, and then on the stage rather than in the orchestra. The musical composition often referred to as “The Anvil Chorus” is from Verdi’s Il Trovatore.

hue and cry Public, popular protest or outcry; noise, hullabaloo, clamor, uproar. The original, legal sense of this expression was a shout or cry calling for the pursuit of a felon, raised by the injured party or by an officer of the law. The phrase came from the Anglo-Norman hu e cri. Hue, now obsolete in this sense except in this expression, means Outcry, shouting, clamor, especially that raised by a multitude in war or chase;’ it is the noun form of the French verb huer ‘to hoot, cry, or shout,’ apparently of onomatopoeic origin. It has been suggested that hue originally referred to an inarticulate sound, such as that of a horn or trumpet as well as that of the voice, and was therefore distinct from cry. The legal sense of this expression dates from the late 13th century, while the general sense dates from the late 16th century.

The public took up the hue and cry conscientiously enough. (John Ruskin, Modern Painters, 1846)

raise Cain See BOISTEROUSNESS.

a voice in the wilderness A lone dissenter, a solitary protestor; one whose warnings are unheeded, whose exhortations are ignored, or whose attempts to rally others around a cause are unfruitful; a minority of one, or similar small minority; frequently a voice crying in the wilderness. The phrase owes its origin to the words of the prophet Isaiah:

The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (40:3)

According to Matthew 3:3, Isaiah was referring to John the Baptist heralding the coming of Jesus Christ.

1. used as a verb

Protest /prə'test/ is used as a verb to say that someone shows publicly that they do not approve of something. You can say that someone protests about something or protests against something.

Women's groups protested about the way women were portrayed in commercials.

Students marched in the streets to protest against the arrests.

In American English, you can use protest as a transitive verb. You say that someone protests something.

Environmental campaigners protested the decision.

Protest can also be a reporting verb. If you protest that something is true, you insist that it is true, when someone has said or suggested the opposite.

They protested that they had nothing to do with the incident.

'You're wrong,' I protested.

2. used as a noun

The noun is pronounced /'prəʊtest/. Protest or a protest is behaviour in which someone shows publicly that they do not approve of something.

They joined in the protests against the government's proposals.

We wrote a letter of protest to the newspaper.