Quick Definition
πρηνής, ές Adj falling headlong
Strong's Definition
leaning (falling) forward ("prone"), i.e. head foremost
Derivation: from G4253 (πρό);
KJV Usage: headlong
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
adjc. | -ές · gen. -οῦς
17.20 · Stances and Events Related to Stances · Prostrate
prostrate, headlong, headfirst pertaining to being stretched out in a position facedown and headfirst It is also possible that in ACT 1:18 πρηνής could have the meaning of ‘swollen’ or ‘distended,’ a meaning which is linguistically possible, but not widely witnessed to (see apparatus).
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
πρηνής, -és, [allied w. πρό; Vanicek p. 484], Lat. pronus, headlong: Acts i. 18. (Sap. iv. 19; 3 Mace. v.43; in Grk. writ. fr. Hom. down, but in Attic more com. mpavns, see Lob. ad Phryn. p. 431; [W. 22].)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
πρηνής prēnēs 1x
prone, head-foremost; πρηνὴς γενόμενος, falling head-long, Acts 1:18*
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
** πρηνής, -ές
(in Att. also πρανής), [in LXX: Wi 4:19, III Mac 5:43, 50 6:23*;]
headlong, prone: Ac 1:18.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
πρηνής, an Ionic form for Attic πρανής (cf. Moulton G». ii. p. 68), found in the NT only in Ac 11% πρηνὴς γενόμενος. As against the AV and RV “falling headlong ’’ (supported by
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
πρηνής (prēnēs) — headlong. πρᾱν-ής, ές, Ionic dialect πρηνής (also in [Refs 4th c.BC+], genitive έος, Attic dialect contraction οῦς:—of posture, with the face downwards, lying on the front, falling forwards, opposed to ὕπτιος, πρηνεῖς τε καὶ ὕπτιοι ἔκπεσον ἵππων [Refs 8th c.BC+]; πρηνέα.. τανύσσας [Ἕκτορα[Refs]headlong down, [NT] (perhaps ={πρησθείς} becoming distended); ἐπὶ τὸ πρηνὲς ῥέπειν incline towards pronation, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of the arm and hand, with the palm downwards, variant in [Refs]; opposed to ὕπτιος, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; of ἀστράγαλοι, ὀρθοὶ πίπτοντες ἢ πρηνεῖς [Refs 2nd c.AD+]; of seeds, hollow side downwards, [Refs 4th c.BC+]; of a ship, bottom upwards, implied in [Refs 1st c.AD+]
II. of parts of animals or man, that part which is uppermost and visible when the animal or man is in the πρανής position (the normal one for a quadruped), the back part, τὰ τετράποδα.. ἐν τοῖς ὑπτίοις οὐκ ἔ χει τὰς τρίχας, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν τοῖς πρανέσι μᾶλλον· οἱ δ᾽ ἄνθρωποι τοὐναντίον ἐν τοῖς ὑπτίοις μᾶλλον ἢ ἐν τοῖς πρανέσιν [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II.2. of leaves and of the hand, the back or 'wrong' side, τὰς ἶνας καὶ τὰς φλέβας ἐν τοῖς π. ἔχουσιν ὥσπερ ἡ χείρ [Refs 4th c.BC+] (misunderstood as the opposite by [Refs 1st c.AD+]
III. of the sides of hills, πρὸς ἄναντες καὶ κατὰ πρανοῦς καὶ πλάγια ἐλαύνειν down hill, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τὸ π., opposed to τὸ ὄρθιον, [Refs]
III.2. convex, [Refs 4th c.BC+]