All 5 Uses

profess
in
Measure for Measure
(Auto-generated)

a tapster, sir; parcel-bawd; one that serves a bad woman; whose house, sir, was, as they say, plucked down in the suburbs; and now she professes a hot-house, which, I think, is a very ill house too.†
Scene 2.1 *

professes = claims
Rather rejoicing to see another merry, than merry at anything which professed to make him rejoice: a gentleman of all temperance.†
Scene 3.2

professed = claimed
He professes to have received no sinister measure from his judge, but most willingly humbles himself to the determination of justice: yet had he framed to himself, by the instruction of his frailty, many deceiving promises of life; which I, by my good leisure, have discredited to him, and now he is resolved to die.†
Scene 3.2

professes = claims
Happily You something know; yet I believe there comes No countermand; no such example have we: Besides, upon the very siege of justice, Lord Angelo hath to the public ear Profess'd the contrary.†
Scene 4.2
If anything fall to you upon this, more than thanks and good fortune, by the saint whom I profess, I will plead against it with my life.†
Scene 4.2

profess = claim

Definitions:

(1) (profess)
to claim or declare -- often insincerely
(2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)
Much more rarely, profess can mean:
- to teach or be knowledgeable of -- as in "profess chemistry"
- practice as a profession -- as in "profess medicine"
- proclaim belief in or allegiance to -- as in "profess Catholicism"