Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
prone, prostrate, supine (adjs.)
The literal senses of these are very explicit, but the figurative uses are much more commonly encountered: to lie prone is “to lie face down,” but the figurative sense, “to be inclined or have a tendency toward something,” is much more frequently used, as in She is accident-prone or The children are prone to winter colds (see also APT; LIKELY). To lie supine is “to lie face up,” but the figurative sense is much more frequent: “to be slack, yielding, unresistant,” as in He was supine and irresolute from the beginning. To prostrate yourself is in the literal sense “to lie face down before a deity,” but the figurative uses are again much more commonly encountered: “to be knocked off your feet, to be felled, as by grief, exhaustion, or sickness,” as in She was prostrate with grief at the death of her child and He was prostrate for fully half an hour after the marathon.
