/ Dictionary / Index P prophase: Meaning and Definition of Find definitions for: pro•phase Pronunciation: (prō'fāz"), [key] — n. the first stage of mitosis or meiosis in eukaryotic cell division, during which the nuclear envelope breaks down and strands of chromatin form into chromosomes. Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease. See also: prophase (Thesaurus) prophage prophecy Related Content Daily Word Quiz: inutiae Analogy of the Day: Today’s Analogy Spelling Bee: Today’s Spelling Bee Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language