πρᾶξις
Alt. πρᾶξις, εως,
Etym. πράσσω
I. "a doing, transaction, business", πλεῖν κατὰ πρῆξιν "on a trading voyage", Od.; πρῆξις δ᾽ ἥδ᾽ ἰδίη, οὐ δήμιος a private, not a public "affair", id=Od.
2. "the result or issue of a business", οὐ γάρ τις πρ. πέλεται γόοιο no "good" comes of weeping, Il.; so, ὄυ τις πρ. ἐγίγνετο μυρομένοισιν Od.; πρ. οὐρίαν θέλων Aesch.; χρησμῶν πρ. their "issue", id=Aesch.
II. "an acting, transacting, doing", κακότητος Theogn.; πρ. πολεμική, ποιητική, πολιτική Plat.:— "action", opp. to πάθος, id=Plat.; ἐν ταῖς πράξεσι "in actual life", id=Plat.
2. "action, exercise", χειρῶν, σκελῶν id=Plat.
III. "an action, act", Soph., etc.
IV. like τὸ εὖ or κακῶς πράσσειν, "a doing" well or ill, "faring" so and so, one's "fortune, state, condition", Hdt., Aesch., etc.
V. "practical ability, dexterity", Polyb.:— also, "practice, trickery", id=Polyb.
VI. "the exaction of money, recovery of outstanding debts or arrears", πρ. συμβολαίων Plat., Dem.:—hence, "the exaction of vengeance, retribution", Eur.
VII. in pl. "public or political life", Dem.