snoop; lurk, hide, lie in wait or ambush, lie low, couch.
2. search or search for, look for, seek, nose around, range over, scour, scavenge, forage; Sl. cat, Sl. tomcat; hunt, pursue, chase, hound, dog; stalk, still-hunt, track, trail, follow, shadow, haunt, Inf. tail; hunt out or down, mouse, track down, trace down, search out, seek out, ferret out. proximate, adj. 1. preceding, next, following, succeeding, successive, subsequent, sequent, sequential, immediately before or after, nearest.
2. close, very near, close by, nearby, in close proximity; vicinal, neighboring, adjacent, next-door, juxta-positioned, juxtaposed; bordering, adjoining, adjoined, abutting, tangential, tangent, contiguous, conjoined, conjoining, connecting, connected.
3. approximate, fairly accurate, not far off, close, Inf. warm, Inf. hot.
4. forthcoming, imminent, approaching, coming toward, nearing, drawing nigh or near; close at hand, at hand, within sight, staring [s.o.] in the face, just about or almost here, about to happen, going to happen soon, upon us, momentary, likely to occur at any moment; impending, lying in wait, in store, in the air or wind; overhanging, projecting, lowering; threatening, looming, brooding. proximity, n. 1. proximateness, nearness, closeness, nighness, propinquity; approximation, vicinity, vicinage, neighborhood; contiguity, contiguousness, conterminousness, adjacence, adjacency, juxtaposition, apposition.
2. kinship, relationship, relation, tie; blood tie, family connection; consanguinity, cognation, agnation, ena-tion, common descent. proxy, n. 1. deputy, vicar, surrogate, substitute, vice-regent, Govt, chargd d'affaires ad interim, representative, agent; fill-in, stopgap, makeshift, temporary substitute, Chiefly Brit, locum tenens; substitute teacher, Inf. sub; alternate, understudy, backup, pinch hitter.
2. authorization, warrant, permit, Accounting. voucher. prude, n. prig, Inf. bluenose, puritan, old maid, Inf. goody-goody, Inf. nice Nelly, Derog. nun. prudence, n. 1. caution, cautiousness, care, carefulness; sagacity, practical wisdom, good judgment, common sense, sense, Inf. horsesense; presence of mind, cool judgment, perspicacity, shrewdness, acumen, deliberateness, deliberation, consideration, calculation, Scot. canniness, Brit, pawkiness; discretion, judiciousness, discrimination, circumspection, tact; attention, vigilance, watchfulness, heedfulness, weighing all the possibilities, watching one's step, Inf. looking both ways, looking before one leaps; expedience, politicness, Inf. cutting one's losses, Inf. pulling in one's horns; self-control, steadiness, stability, temperateness, temperance, self-restraint, unexcessiveness, moderation, moderation in all things, sophrosyne.
2. forethought, planning, looking or planning ahead, anticipation, taking preventive measures, foresightedness, preparation, forehandedness, providence, provision, foresight, preparedness, precaution, taking a stitch in time, string-saving; economy, thrift, thriftiness, unwastefulness, frugality, husbandry, careful budgeting, watching one's pennies, good management or stewardship, economizing, saving. prudent, adj. 1. sensible, level-headed, judicious, sagacious, sage, discreet, circumspect; thoughtful, reflecting, sapient, sober, sane, moderate, reasonable, rational, sound, full of common sense; cool, wary, heedful, vigilant, advertent, attentive, guarded, chary.