'Profess' definitions:

Definition of 'profess'

(from WordNet)
verb
Practice as a profession, teach, or claim to be knowledgeable about; "She professes organic chemistry"
verb
Confess one's faith in, or allegiance to; "The terrorists professed allegiance to their country"; "he professes to be a Communist"
verb
Admit (to a wrongdoing); "She confessed that she had taken the money" [syn: concede, profess, confess]
verb
State freely; "The teacher professed that he was not generous when it came to giving good grades"
verb
Receive into a religious order or congregation
verb
Take vows, as in religious order; "she professed herself as a nun"
verb
State insincerely; "He professed innocence but later admitted his guilt"; "She pretended not to have known the suicide bomber"; "She pretends to be an expert on wine" [syn: profess, pretend]

Definition of 'Profess'

From: GCIDE
  • Profess \Pro*fess"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Professed; p. pr. & vb. n. Professing.] [F. prof[`e]s, masc., professe, fem., professed (monk or nun), L. professus, p. p. of profiteri to profess; pro before, forward + fateri to confess, own. See Confess.] [1913 Webster]
  • 1. To make open declaration of, as of one's knowledge, belief, action, etc.; to avow or acknowledge; to confess publicly; to own or admit freely. "Hear me profess sincerely." --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • The best and wisest of them all professed To know this only, that he nothing knew. --Milton. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To set up a claim to; to make presence to; hence, to put on or present an appearance of. [1913 Webster]
  • I do profess to be no less than I seem. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
  • 3. To present to knowledge of, to proclaim one's self versed in; to make one's self a teacher or practitioner of, to set up as an authority respecting; to declare (one's self to be such); as, he professes surgery; to profess one's self a physician. [1913 Webster]

Definition of 'Profess'

From: GCIDE
  • Profess \Pro*fess"\ (pr[-o]*f[e^]s"), v. i.
  • 1. To take a profession upon one's self by a public declaration; to confess. --Drayton. [1913 Webster]
  • 2. To declare friendship. [Obs.] --Shak. [1913 Webster]