Prefix – Preseance

Prefix

PREFIX', verb transitive [Latin proefigo; proe, before, and figo, to fix.]

1. To put or fix before, or at the beginning of another thing; as, to prefix a syllable to a word; to prefix an advertisement to a book.

2. To set or appoint beforehand; as, to prefix the hour of meeting.

A time prefix and think of me at last.

3. To settle; to establish.

I would prefix some certain boundary between the old statutes and the new.

PRE'FIX, noun A letter, syllable or word put to the beginning of a word, usually to vary its signification. A prefix is united with the word, forming a part of it; hence it is distinguished from a preposition; as pre, in prefix; con, in coniure; with, in withstand. Prefixes are sometimes called particles, or inseparable prepositions.

Prefixed

PREFIX'ED, participle passive Set before; appointed beforehand; settled.

Prefixing

PREFIX'ING, participle present tense Putting before; previously appointing; establishing.

Prefixion

PREFIX'ION, noun The act of prefixing.

Preform

PREFORM', verb transitive [pre and form.] To form beforehand.

Preformative

PREFORM'ATIVE, noun [Latin proe, before, and formative.]

A formative letter at the beginning of a word.

Prefulgency

PREFUL'GENCY, noun [Latin proefulgens; proe, before, and fulgeo, to shine.] Superior brightness or effulgency.

Pregnable

PREG'NABLE, adjective That may be taken or won by force; expugnable. [Little used.]

Pregnancy

PREG'NANCY, noun [See Pregnant.] The state of a female who has conceived, or is with child.

1. Fertility; fruitfulness; inventive power; as the pregnancy of wit or invention.

Pregnance, in a like sense, is not used.

Pregnant

PREG'NANT, adjective [Latin proegnans; supposed to be compounded of proe, before, and geno; Gr. to beget.]

1. Being with young, as a female; breeding; teeming.

2. Fruitful; fertile; impregnating; as pregnant streams.

3. Full of consequence; as a pregnant instance of infatuation.

An egregious and pregnant instance how far virtue surpasses ingenuity.

4. East to admit or receive.

5. Free; kind; ready; witty; apt. [Not proper.]

6. Plain; clear; evident; full. [Not in use.]

Pregnantly

PREG'NANTLY, adverb Fruitfully.

1. Fully; plainly; clearly. [Not used.]

Pregravate

PRE'GRAVATE, verb transitive [Latin proegravo.]

To bear down; to depress. [Not in use.]

Pregravitate

PREGRAV'ITATE, verb intransitive To descend by gravity.

Pregustation

PREGUSTA'TION, noun [Latin proe and gusto, to taste.]

The act of tasting before another.

Prehensile

PREHEN'SILE, adjective [Latin prehendo, to take or seize; prehensus.]

Seizing; grasping; adapted to seize or grasp. The tails of some monkeys are prehensile

Prehension

PREHEN'SION, noun A taking hold; a seizing; as with the hand or other limb.

Prehnite

PREHN'ITE, noun A mineral of the silicious kind, of an apple green or greenish gray color. It has been called shorl, emerald, chrysoprase, felspath, chrysolite, and zeolite. It has some resemblance to zeolite, but differs from it in several particulars, and is therefore considered to be a particular species.

Prehnite is near to stilbite, and is classed by the French with the family of zeolites.

It is massive or crystallized, but the form of its crystals cannot be determined in consequence of their aggregation.

Preinstruct

PREINSTRUCT', verb transitive [pre and instruct.] To instruct previously.

Preinstructed

PREINSTRUCT'ED, participle passive Previously instructed or directed.

Preinstructing

PREINSTRUCT'ING, participle present tense Previously instructing.

Preintimation

PREINTIMA'TION, noun [pre and intimation.]

Previous intimation; a suggestion beforehand.

Prejudge

PREJUDGE, verb transitive prejudg'. [Latin proe and judico, to judge.]

1. To judge in a cause before it is heard, or before the arguments and facts in the case are fully known.

The committee of council hath prejudged the whole case, by calling the united sense of both houses of parliament an universal clamor.

2. To judge and determine before the cause is heard; hence sometimes, to condemn beforehand or unheard.

Prejudged

PREJUDG'ED, participle passive Judged beforehand; determined unheard.

Prejudging

PREJUDG'ING, participle present tense Judging or determining without a hearing or before the case is fully understood.

Prejudgment

PREJUDG'MENT, noun Judgment in a case without a hearing or full examination.

Prejudicacy

PREJU'DICACY, noun Prejudice; prepossession. [Not used.]

Prejudicate

PREJU'DICATE, verb transitive [Latin proe, before, and judico, to judge.]

To prejudge; to determine beforehand to disadvantage.

Our dearest friend

Prejudicates the business.

PREJU'DICATE, verb intransitive To form a judgment without due examination of the facts and arguments in this case.

PREJU'DICATE, adjective Formed before due examination.

1. Prejudiced; biased by opinions formed prematurely; as a prejudicate reader. [Little used.]

Prejudicated

PREJU'DICATED, participle passive Prejudged.

Prejudicating

PREJU'DICATING, participle present tense Prejudging.

Prejudication

PREJUDICA'TION, noun The act of judging without due examination of facts and evidence.

1. In Roman oratory, prejudications were of three kinds; first, precedents or adjudged cases, involving the same points of law; second, previous decisions on the same question between other parties; third, decisions of the same cause and between the same parties, before tribunals of inferior jurisdiction.

Prejudicative

PREJU'DICATIVE, adjective Forming an opinion or judgment without examination.

Prejudice

PREJ'UDICE, noun [Latin prejudicium; proe and judico.]

1. Prejudgment; an opinion or decision of mind, formed without due examination of the facts or arguments which are necessary to a just and impartial determination. It is used in a good or bad sense. Innumerable are the prejudices of education; we are accustomed to believe what we are taught, and to receive opinions from others without examining the grounds by which they can be supported. A man has strong prejudices in favor of his country or his party, or the church in which he has been educated; and often our prejudices are unreasonable. A judge should disabuse himself of prejudice in favor of either party in a suit.

My comfort is that their manifest prejudice to my cause will render their judgment of less authority.

2. A previous bent or bias of mind for or against any person or thing; prepossession.

There is an unaccountable prejudice to projectors of all kinds.

3. Mischief; hurt; damage; injury. Violent factions are a prejudice to the authority of the sovereign.

How plain this abuse is, and what prejudice it does to the understanding of the sacred Scriptures.

[This is a sense of the word too well established to be condemned.]

PREJ'UDICE, verb transitive To prepossess with unexamined opinions, or opinions formed without due knowledge of the facts and circumstances attending the question; to bias the mind by hasty and incorrect notions, and give it an unreasonable bent to one side or other of a cause.

Suffer not any beloved study to prejudice your mind so far as to despise all other learning.

1. To obstruct or injure by prejudices, or an undue previous bias of the mind; or to hurt; to damage; to diminish; to impair; in a very general sense. The advocate who attempts to prove too much, may prejudice his cause.

I am not to prejudice the cause of my fellow poets, though I abandon my own defense.

Prejudiced

PREJ'UDICED, participle passive or adjective Prepossessed by unexamined opinions; biased.

Prejudicial

PREJUDI'CIAL, adjective Biased or blinded by prejudices; as a prejudicial eye. [Not in use.]

1. Hurtful; mischievous; injurious; disadvantageous; detrimental; tending to obstruct or impair. A high rate of interest is prejudicial to trade and manufactures. Intemperance is prejudicial to health.

His going away the next morning with all his troops, was most prejudicial to the king's affairs.

One of the young ladies reads while the others are at work; so that the learning of the family is not at all prejudicial to its manufactures.

Prejudicialness

PREJUDI'CIALNESS, noun The state of being prejudicial; injuriousness.

Prelacy

PRE'LACY, noun [from prelate.] The office or dignity of a prelate.

Prelacies may be termed the greater benefices.

1. Episcopacy; the order of bishops.

How many are there that call themselves protestants, who put prelacy and popery together as terms convertible?

2. Bishops, collectively.

Divers of the reverend prelacy

Prelate

PRE'LATE, noun [Latin proelatus, proefero.] An ecclesiastic of the higher order, as an archbishop, bishop or patriarch; a dignitary of the church.

Prelateship

PRE'LATESHIP, noun The office of a prelate.

Prelatic

PRELAT'IC

PRELAT'ICAL, adjective Pertaining to prelates or prelacy; as prelatical authority.

Prelatical

PRELAT'ICAL, a. Pertaining to prelates or prelacy; as prelatical authority.

Prelatically

PRELAT'ICALLY, adverb With reference to prelates.

Prelation

PRELA'TION, noun [Latin proelatio, proefero.] Preference; the setting of one above another. [Little used.]

Prelatism

PRE'LATISM, noun Prelacy; episcopacy.

Prelatist

PRE'LATIST, noun [form prelate.] An advocate for prelacy or the government of the church by bishops; a high churchman.

I am an episcopalian, but not a prelatist

Prelature

PRE'LATURE

PRE'LATURESHIP, noun The state or dignity of a prelate.

Prelatureship

PRE'LATURESHIP, n. The state or dignity of a prelate.

Prelaty

PRE'LATY, noun Episcopacy; prelacy. [Not in use.]

Prelect

PRELECT', verb transitive [Latin proelectus, proelego; proe, before, and lego, to read.] To read a lecture or public discourse.

Prelection

PRELEC'TION, noun [Latin proelectio.] A lecture or discourse read in public or to a select company.

Prelector

PRELEC'TOR, noun A reader of discourses; a lecturer.

Prelibation

PRELIBA'TION, noun [from Latin proelibo; proe, before, and libo, to taste.]

1. Foretaste; a tasting beforehand or by anticipation.

The joy that proceeds from a belief of pardon is a prelibation of heavenly bliss.

2. An effusion previous to tasting.

Preliminary

PRELIM'INARY, adjective [Latin proe, before, and limen, threshhold or limit.]

Introductory; previous; proemial; that precedes the main discourse or business; as preliminary observations to a discourse or book; preliminary articles to a treaty; preliminary measures.

PRELIM'INARY, noun That which precedes the main discourse, work, design or business; something previous or preparatory; as the preliminaries to a negotiation or treaty; the preliminaries to a combat. The parties met to settle the preliminaries.

Prelude

PRE'LUDE, noun [Low Latin proeludium, from proeludo; proe, before, and ludo, to play.]

1. A short flight of music, or irregular air played by a musician before he begins the piece to be played, or before a full concert.

2. Something introductory or that shows what is to follow; something preceding which bears some relation or resemblance to that which is to follow.

The last Georgic was a good prelude to the Aeneis.

3. A forerunner; something which indicates a future event.

PRELU'DE, verb transitive To introduce with a previous performance; to play before; as, to prelude a concert with a lively air.

1. To precede, as an introductory piece; as, a lively air preludes the concert.

PRELU'DE, verb intransitive To serve as an introduction to.

Preluded

PRELU'DED, participle passive Preceded by an introductory performance; preceded.

Preluder

PRE'LUDER, noun One that plays a prelude, or introduces by a previous irregular piece of music.

Preluding

PRELU'DING, participle present tense Playing an introductory air; preceding.

PRELU'DI0US, adjective Previous; introductory.

Preludium

PRELU'DIUM, noun [Low Latin ] A prelude.

Prelusive

PRELU'SIVE, adjective Previous; introductory; indicating that something of a like kind is to follow; as prelusive drops.

Prelusory

PRELU'SORY, adjective Previous; introductory; prelusive.

Premature

PREMATU'RE, adjective [Latin proematurus; proe, before, and maturus, ripe.]

1. Ripe before the natural or proper time; as the premature fruits of a hot bed.

2. Happening, arriving, performed or adopted before the proper time; as a premature fall of snow in autumn; a premature birth; a premature opinion; a premature measure.

3. Arriving or received without due authentication or evidence; as premature report, news or intelligence.

Prematurely

PREMATU'RELY, adverb Too soon; too early; before the proper time; as fruits prematurely ripened; opinions prematurely formed; measures prematurely taken.

1. Without due evidence or authentication; as intelligence prematurely received.

Prematureness

PREMATU'RENESS

PREMATU'RITY, noun Ripeness before the natural or proper time.

1. Too great haste; unseasonable earliness.

Prematurity

PREMATU'RITY, n. Ripeness before the natural or proper time. 1. Too great haste; unseasonable earliness.

Premeditate

PREMED'ITATE, verb transitive [Latin proemeditor; proe, before, and meditor, to mediate.] To think on and revolve in the mind beforehand; to contrive and design previously; as, to premeditate theft or robbery.

With words premeditated thus he said.

PREMED'ITATE, verb intransitive To think, consider or revolve in the mind beforehand; to deliberate; to have formed in the mind by previous thought or meditation.

PREMED'ITATE, adjective Contrived by previous meditation.

Premeditated

PREMED'ITATED, participle passive Previously considered or meditated.

1. Previously contrived, designed or intended; deliberate; willful; as premeditated murder.

Premeditately

PREMED'ITATELY, adverb With previous meditation.

Premeditating

PREMED'ITATING, participle present tense Previously meditating; contriving or intending beforehand.

Premeditation

PREMEDITA'TION, noun [Latin proemeditatio.]

1. The act of meditating beforehand; previous deliberation.

A sudden thought may be higher than nature can raise without premeditation

2. Previous contrivance or design formed; as the premeditation of a crime.

Premerit

PREMER'IT, verb transitive [pre and merit.]

To merit or deserve beforehand. [Little used.]

Premices

PREM'ICES, noun [Latin primitioe, primus.] First fruits. [Not used.]

Premier

PRE'MIER, adjective [Latin primus, first.] First; chief; principal; as the premier place; premier minister.

PRE'MIER, noun The first minister of state; the prime minister.

Premiership

PRE'MIERSHIP, noun The office or dignity of the first minister of state.

Premise

PREMI'SE, verb transitive s as z. [Latin proemissus, proemitto, to send before.]

1. To speak or write before, or as introductory to the main subject; to offer previously, as something to explain or aid in understanding what follows.

I premise these particulars that the reader may know that I enter upon it as a very ungrateful task.

2. To send before the time. [Not in use.]

3. To lay down premises or first propositions, on which rest the subsequent reasonings.

4. To use or apply previously.

If venesection and a cathartic be premised.

PREMI'SE, verb intransitive To state antecedent propositions.

PREM'ISE, noun prem'is. A first or antecedent proposition.

Premises

PREM'ISES, noun [Latin proemissa.]

1. In logic, the two first propositions of a syllogism, from which the inference or conclusion is drawn; as,

All sinners deserve punishment;

A B is a sinner.

These propositions, which are the premises being true or admitted, the conclusion follows, that A B deserves punishment.

2. Propositions antecedently supposed or proved.

While the premises stand firm, it is impossible to shake the conclusion.

3. In law, land or other things mentioned in the preceding part of a deed.

Premiss

PREM'ISS, noun Antecedent proposition. [Rarely used.]

Premium

PRE'MIUM, noun [Latin] Properly, a reward or recompense; a prize to be won by competition; the reward or prize to be adjudged to the best performance or production.

1. The recompense or prize offered for a specific discovery or for success in an enterprise; as for the discovery of the longitude, or of a northwest passage to the Pacific Ocean.

2. A bounty; something offered or given for the loan of money, usually a sum beyond the interest.

3. The recompense to underwriters for insurance, or for undertaking to indemnify for losses of any kind.

4. It is sometimes synonymous with interest, but generally in obtaining loans, it is a sum per cent. distinct from the interest.

The bank lends money to government at a premium of 2 per cent.

5. A bounty.

The law that obliges parishes to support the poor, offers a premium for the encouragement of idleness.

Premonish

PREMON'ISH, verb transitive [Latin proemoneo; proe and moneo, to warn.]

To forewarn; to admonish beforehand.

Premonished

PREMON'ISHED, participle passive Forewarned.

Premonishing

PREMON'ISHING, participle present tense Admonishing beforehand.

Premonishment

PREMON'ISHMENT, noun Previous warning or admonition; previous information.

Premonition

PREMONI'TION, noun Previous warning, notice or information. Christ gave to his disciples premonitions of their sufferings.

Premonitory

PREMON'ITORY, adjective Giving previous warning or notice.

Premonstrants

PREMON'STRANTS, noun [Latin proemonstrans.] A religious order of regular canons or monks of Premontre, in the isle of France; instituted by Norbert, in 1120. They are called also white canons. These monks were poor at first, but within 30 years they had more than 100 abbeys in France and Germany, and in time they were established in all parts of christendom.

Premonstrate

PREMON'STRATE, verb transitive [Latin proemonstro; proe, before, and monstro, to show.] To show beforehand. [Little used.]

Premonstration

PREMONSTRA'TION, noun A showing beforehand. [Little used.]

Premorse

PREMORSE, adjective premors'. [Latin proemordeo, proemorsus; proe and mordeo, to gnaw.] Bitten off.

PREMORSE roots, in botany, are such as are not tapering, but blunt at the end, as if bitten off short.

leaves, are such as end very obtusely with unequal notches.

Premotion

PREMO'TION, noun [pre and motion.] Previous motion or excitement to action.

Premunire

PREMUNI'RE, noun [See Proemunire. ]

1. In law, the offense of introducing foreign authority into England, and the writ which is grounded on the offense.

2. The penalty incurred by the offense above described.

Woolsey incurred a premunire and forfeited his honor, estate and life.

Premunition

PREMUNI'TION, noun [Latin proemunitio, from proemunio.]

An anticipation of objections.

Prenomen

PRENO'MEN, noun [Latin proenomen.] Among the Romans, a name prefixed to the family name, answering to our christian name; as Caius, Lucius, Marcus, etc.

Prenominate

PRENOM'INATE, verb transitive [Latin proe and nomino, to name.] To forename.

PRENOM'INATE, adjective Forenamed.

Prenomination

PRENOMINA'TION, noun The privilege of being named first.

Prenotion

PRENO'TION, noun [Latin proenotio; proe and nosco, to know.]

A notice or notion which precedes something else in time; previous notion or thought; foreknowledge.

Prensation

PRENSA'TION, noun [Latin prensatio, from prenso, to seize.]

The act of seizing with violence. [Little used.]

Prentice

PRENTICE, a colloquial contraction of apprentice, which see.

Prenticeship

PRENTICESHIP, a contraction of apprenticeship, which see.

Prenunciation

PRENUNCIA'TION, noun [Latin proenuncio; proe and nuncio, to tell.]

The act of telling before. [Not used.]

Preobtain

PREOBTA'IN, verb transitive To obtain beforehand.

Preobtained

PREOBTA'INED, participle passive Previously obtained.

Preoccupancy

PREOC'CUPANCY, noun [Latin proeoccupans.]

1. The act of taking possession before another. The property of unoccupied land is vested by preoccupancy

2. The right of taking possession before others. The first discoverer of unoccupied land has the preoccupancy of it, by the law of nature and nations.

Preoccupate

PREOC'CUPATE, verb transitive [Latin proeoccupo; proe and occupo, to seize.]

1. To anticipate; to take before.

2. To prepossess; to fill with prejudices.

[Instead of this, preoccupy is used.]

Preoccupation

PREOCCUPA'TION, noun A taking possession before another; prior occupation.

1. Anticipation.

2. Prepossession.

3. Anticipation of objections.

Preoccupy

PREOC'CUPY, verb transitive [Latin proeoccupo; proe, before, and occupo, to seize.]

1. To take possession before another; as, to preoccupy a country or land not before occupied.

2. To prepossess; to occupy by anticipation or prejudices.

I think it more respectful to the reader to leave something to reflections, than to preoccupy his judgment.

Preominate

PREOM'INATE, verb transitive [Latin proe and ominor, to prognosticate.]

To prognosticate; to gather from omens any future event.

Preopinion

PREOPIN'ION, noun [pre and opinion.] Opinion previously formed; prepossession.

Preoption

PREOP'TION, noun [pre and option.] The right of first choice.

Preordain

PREORDA'IN, verb transitive [pre and ordain.] To ordain or appoint beforehand; to predetermine. All things are supposed to be preordained by God.

Preordained

PREORDA'INED, participle passive Antecedently ordained or determined.

Preordaining

PREORDA'INING, participle present tense Ordaining beforehand.

Preordinance

PREOR'DINANCE, noun [pre and ordinance.]

Antecedent decree or determination.

Preordinate

PREOR'DINATE, adjective Foreordained. [Little used.]

Preordination

PREORDINA'TION, noun The act of foreordaining; previous determination.

Preparable

PREPA'RABLE, adjective [See Prepare.] That may be prepared.

Preparation

PREPARA'TION, noun [Latin proeparatio. See Prepare.]

1. The act or operation of preparing or fitting for a particular purpose, use, service or condition; as the preparation of land for a crop of wheat; the preparation of troops for a campaign; the preparation of a nation for war; the preparation of men for future happiness. preparation is intended to prevent evil or secure good.

2. Previous measures of adaptation.

I will show what preparations there were in nature for this dissolution.

3. Ceremonious introduction. [Unusual.]

4. That which is prepared, made or compounded for a particular purpose.

I wish the chimists had been more sparing, who magnify their preparations.

5. The state of being prepared or in readiness; as a nation in good preparation for attack or defense.

6. Accomplishment; qualification. [Not in use.]

7. In pharmacy, any medicinal substance fitted for the use of the patient.

8. In anatomy, the parts of animal bodies prepared and preserved for anatomical uses.

Preparation of dissonances, in music, is their disposition in harmony in such a manner that by something congenial in what precedes, they may be rendered less harsh to the ear than they would be without such preparation

Preparation of medicines, the process of fitting any substance for use in the art of healing.

Preparative

PREPAR'ATIVE, adjective Tending to prepare or make ready; having the power of preparing, qualifying or fitting for any thing; preparatory.

He spent much time in quest of knowledge preparative to this work.

PREPAR'ATIVE, noun That which has the power of preparing or previously fitting for a purpose; that which prepares.

Resolvedness in sin can with no reason be imagined a preparative to remission.

1. That which is done to prevent an evil or secure some good.

The miseries we suffer may be preparative of future blessings.

2. Preparation; as, to make the necessary preparatives for a voyage.

Preparatively

PREPAR'ATIVELY, adverb By way of preparation.

Preparatory

PREPAR'ATORY, adjective

1. Previously necessary; useful or qualifying; preparing the way for any thing by previous measures of adaptation. The practice of virtue and piety is preparatory to the happiness of heaven.

2. Introductory; previous; antecedent and adapted to what follows.

Prepare

PREPA'RE, verb transitive [Latin paro.]

1. In a general sense, to fit, adapt or qualify for a particular purpose, end, use, service or state, by any means whatever. We prepare ground for seed by tillage; we prepare cloth for use by dressing; we prepare medicines by pulverization, mixture, etc.; we prepare young men for college by previous instruction; men are prepared for professions by suitable study; holiness of heart is necessary to prepare men for the enjoyment of happiness with holy beings.

2. To make ready; as, to prepare the table for entertaining company.

3. To provide; to procure as suitable; as, to prepare arms, ammunition and provisions for troops; to prepare ships for defense.

Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2 Samuel 15:1.

4. To set; to establish.

The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens. Psalms 103:19.

5. To appoint.

It shall be given to them for whom it is prepared. Matthew 20:23.

6. To guide, direct or establish. 1 Chronicles 29:18.

PREPA'RE, verb intransitive To make all things ready; to put things in suitable order; as, prepare for dinner.

1. To take the necessary previous measures.

Dido preparing to kill herself.

2. To make one's self ready.

Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. Amos 4:12.

PREPA'RE, noun Preparation. [Not in use.]

Prepared

PREPA'RED, participle passive Fitted; adapted; made suitable; made ready; provided.

Preparedly

PREPA'REDLY, adverb With suitable previous measures.

Preparedness

PREPA'REDNESS, noun The state of being prepared or in readiness.

Preparer

PREPA'RER, noun One that prepares, fits or makes ready.

1. One that provides.

2. That which fits or makes suitable; as, certain manures are preparers of land for particular crops.

Preparing

PREPA'RING, participle present tense Fitting; adapting; making ready; providing.

Prepense

PREPENSE, adjective prepens'. [Latin proepensus, proependeo; proe and pendeo, to incline to hand down.]

Preconceived; premeditated; aforethought.

Malice prepense is necessary to constitute murder.

PREPENSE, verb transitive prepens'. [supra.]

To weigh or consider beforehand. [Not used.]

PREPENSE, verb intransitive prepens'. To deliberate beforehand. [Not used.]

Prepensed

PREPENS'ED, participle passive or adjective Previously conceived; premeditated. [Little used.] [See Prepense.]

Prepollence

PREPOL'LENCE

PREPOL'LENCY, noun [Latin proepollens, proepolleo; proe and polleo.]

Prevalence; superiority of power.

Prepollency

PREPOL'LENCY, n. [L. proepollens, proepolleo; proe and polleo.]

Prevalence; superiority of power.

Prepollent

PREPOL'LENT, adjective Having superior gravity or power; prevailing.

Preponder

PREPOND'ER, verb transitive [See Preponderate.] To outweigh. [Not used.]

Preponderance

PREPOND'ERANCE

PREPOND'ERANCY, noun [See Preponderate.]

1. An outweighing; superiority of weight. The least preponderance of weight on one side of a ship or boat will make it incline or heel.

2. Superiority of power, force or weight; in a figurative sense; as a preponderance of evidence.

Preponderancy

PREPOND'ERANCY, n. [See Preponderate.] 1. An outweighing; superiority of weight. The least preponderance of weight on one side of a ship or boat will make it incline or heel.2. Superiority of power, force or weight; in a figurative sense; as a preponderance of evidence.

Preponderant

PREPOND'ERANT, adjective Outweighing.

Preponderate

PREPOND'ERATE, verb transitive [Latin proepondero; proe, before, and pondero, to weigh.]

1. To outweigh; to overpower by weight.

An inconsiderable weight, by distance from the center of the balance, will preponderate greater magnitudes.

2. To overpower by stronger influence or moral power.

PREPOND'ERATE, verb intransitive To exceed in weight; hence, to incline or descend, as the scale of a balance.

That is no just balance in which the heaviest side will not preponderate

1. To exceed in influence or power; hence, to incline to one side.

By putting every argument on one side and the other, into the balance, we must form a judgment which side preponderates.

Preponderating

PREPOND'ERATING, participle present tense Outweighing; inclining to one side.

Preponderation

PREPONDERA'TION, noun The act or state of outweighing any thing, or of inclining to one side.

Prepose

PREPO'SE, verb transitive s as z. To put before. [Not much used.]

Preposition

PREPOSI'TION, noun s as z. [Latin proepositio, proepono, proepositus; proe and pono, to put.] In grammar, a word usually put before another to express some relation or quality, action or motion to or from the thing specified; as medicines salutary to health; music agreeable to the ear; virtue is valued for its excellence; a man is riding to Oxford from London. Prepositions govern cases of nouns, and in English are sometimes placed after the word governed; as, which person do you speak to? for, to which person do you speak? This separation of the preposition from the governed word is sometimes allowable in colloquial use, but is generally inelegant.

Prepositional

PREPOSI'TIONAL, adjective Pertaining to a preposition, or to preceding position.

Prepositive

PREPOS'ITIVE, adjective Put before; as a prepositive particle.

PREPOS'ITIVE, noun [supra.] A word or particle put before another word.

Prepositor

PREPOS'ITOR, noun [Latin proepositor.] A scholar appointed by the instructor to inspect other scholars.

Prepositure

PREPOS'ITURE, noun The office or place of a provost; a provostship.

Prepossess

PREPOSSESS', verb transitive [pre and possess.] To preoccupy, as ground or land; to take previous possession of.

1. To preoccupy the mind or heart so as to preclude other things; hence, to bias or prejudice. A mind prepossessed with opinions favorable to a person or cause, will not readily admit unfavorable opinions to take possession, nor yield to reasons that disturb the possessors. When a lady has prepossessed the heart or affections of a man, he does not readily listen to suggestions that tend to remove the prepossession. prepossess is more frequently used in a good sense than prejudice.

Prepossessed

PREPOSSESS'ED, participle passive Preoccupied; inclined previously to favor or disfavor.

Prepossessing

PREPOSSESS'ING, participle present tense Taking previous possession.

1. adjective Tending to invite favor; having power to secure the possession of favor, esteem or love. The countenance, address and manners of a person are sometimes prepossessing on a first acquaintance.

Prepossession

PREPOSSES'SION, noun Preoccupation; prior possession.

1. Preconceived opinion; the effect of previous impressions on the mind or heart, in favor or against any person or thing. It is often used in a good sense; sometimes it is equivalent to prejudice, and sometimes a softer name for it. In general, it conveys an idea less odious than prejudice; as the prepossessions of education.

Preposterous

PREPOS'TEROUS, adjective [Latin proeposterus; proe, before, and posterus, latter.]

1. Literally, having that first which ought to be last; inverted in order.

The method I take may be censured as preposterous because I treat last of the antediluvian earth, which was first in the order of nature.

2. Perverted; wrong; absurd; contrary to nature or reason; not adapted to the end; as, a republican government in the hands of females, is preposterous To draw general conclusions from particular facts, is preposterous reasoning.

3. Foolish; absurd; applied to persons.

Preposterously

PREPOS'TEROUSLY, adverb In a wrong or inverted order; absurdly; foolishly.

Preposterousness

PREPOS'TEROUSNESS, noun Wrong order or method; absurdity; inconsistency with nature or reason.

Prepotency

PREPO'TENCY, noun [Latin proepotentia; proe and potentia, power.]

Superior power; predominance. [Little used.]

Prepotent

PREPO'TENT, adjective [Latin proepotens.] Very powerful. [Little used.]

Prepuce

PRE'PUCE, noun [Latin proeputium.] The foreskin; a prolongation of the cutis of the penis, covering the glans.

Preremote

PREREMO'TE, adjective [pre and remote.] More remote in previous time or prior order.

In some cases, two more links of causation may be introduced; one of them may be termed the preremote cause, the other the postremote effect.

Prerequire

PREREQUI'RE, verb transitive [pre and require.] To require previously.

Prerequisite

PREREQ'UISITE, adjective s as z. [pre and requisite.] Previously required or necessary to something subsequent; as, certain attainments are prerequisite to an admission or orders.

PREREQ'UISITE, noun Something that is previously required or necessary to the end proposed. An acquaintance with Latin and Greek is a prerequisite to the admission of a young man into a college.

Preresolve

PRERESOLVE, verb transitive s as z. [pre and resolve.]

To resolve previously.

Preresolved

PRERESOLV'ED, participle passive Resolved beforehand; previously determined.

Preresolving

PRERESOLV'ING, participle present tense Resolving beforehand.

Prerogative

PREROG'ATIVE, [Latin proerogativa, precedence in voting; proe, before, and rogo, to ask or demand.] An exclusive or peculiar privilege. A royal prerogative is that special pre-eminence which a king has over all other persons, and out of the course of the common law, in right of his regal dignity. It consists in the possession of certain rights which the king may exercise to the exclusion of all participation of his subjects; for when a right or privilege is held in common with the subject, it ceases to be a prerogative Thus the right of appointing embassadors, and of making peace and war, are, in Great Britain, royal prerogatives. The right of governing created beings is the prerogative of the Creator.

It is the prerogative of the house of peers in Great Britain to decide legal questions in the last resort. It is the prerogative of the house of commons to determine the validity of all elections of their own members. It is the prerogative of a father to govern his children. It is the prerogative of the understanding to judge and compare.

In the United States, it is the prerogative of the president, with the advice of the senate, to ratify treaties.

Prerogative-Court

PREROG'ATIVE-COURT, noun In Great Britain, a court for the trial of all testamentary causes, where the deceased has left bona notabilia, or effects of the value of five pounds, in two different dioceses. In this case, the probate of the will belongs to the metropolitan or archbishop of the province, and the court where such will is proved is called the prerogative-court as it is held by virtue of the special prerogative of the metropolitan, who appoints the judge.

Prerogative-Office

PREROG'ATIVE-OFFICE, noun The office in which the wills proved in the prerogative court, are registered.

Prerogatived

PREROG'ATIVED, adjective Having prerogative. [Little used.]

Presage

PRE'SAGE, noun [Latin proesagium; proe, before, and sagio, to perceive or foretell.] Something which foreshows a future event; a prognostic; a present fact indicating something to come.

Joy and shout, presage of victory.

PRESA'GE, verb transitive To forebode; to foreshow; to indicate by some present fact what is to follow or come to pass. A fog rising from a river in an autumnal morning presages a pleasant day. A physical phenomenon cannot be considered as presaging an event, unless it has some connection with it in cause. Hence the error of vulgar superstition, which presages good or evil from facts which can have no relation to the future event.

1. To foretell; to predict; to prophesy.

Wish'd freedom I presage you soon will find.

PRESA'GE, verb intransitive To form or utter a prediction; with of. We may presage of heats and rains. We may presage of heats and rains. [Not common nor elegant.]

Presaged

PRESA'GED, participle passive Foreboded; foreshown; foretold.

Presageful

PRESA'GEFUL, adjective Full of presages; containing presages.

Presagement

PRESA'GEMENT, noun A foreboding; foretoken.

1. A foretelling; prediction.

Presager

PRESA'GER, noun A foreteller; a foreshower.

Presaging

PRESA'GING, participle present tense Foreshowing; foretelling.

Presbyter

PRES'BYTER, noun [Gr. old, elder.]

1. In the primitive christian church, an elder; a person somewhat advanced in age, who had authority in the church, and whose duty was to feed the flock over which the Holy Spirit had made him overseer.

2. A priest; a person who has the pastoral charge of a particular church and congregation; called in the Saxon laws, mass-priest.

3. A presbyterian.

Presbyterial

PRESBYTE'RIAL

PRESBYTE'RIAN, adjective Pertaining to a presbyter, or to ecclesiastical government by presbyters.

1. Consisting of presbyters; as presbyterian government. The government of the church of Scotland is presbyterian.

PRESBYTE'RIAN, noun One that maintains the validity of ordination and government by presbyters.

1. One that belongs to a church governed by presbyters.

Presbyterian

PRESBYTE'RIAN, a. Pertaining to a presbyter, or to ecclesiastical government by presbyters. 1. Consisting of presbyters; as presbyterian government. The government of the church of Scotland is presbyterian. PRESBYTE'RIAN, n. One that maintains the validity of ordination and government by presbyters. 1. One that belongs to a church governed by presbyters.

Presbyterianism

PRESBYTE'RIANISM, noun The doctrines, principles and discipline or government of presbyterians.

Presbytery

PRES'BYTERY, noun A body of elders in the christian church.

Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery 1 Timothy 4:14.

1. In ecclesiastical government, a judicatory consisting of all the pastors of churches within a certain district, and one ruling elder, a layman, from each parish, commissioned to represent the parish in conjunction with the minister. This body receives appeals from the kirk-session, and appeals from the presbytery may be carried to the provincial synod.

The presbytery of the churches in the United States is composed in a manner nearly similar.

2. The presbyterian religion.

Prescience

PRESCIENCE, noun presi'ence or pre'shens. [Low Latin proescientia; proe, before, and scientia, knowledge.] Foreknowledge; knowledge of events before they take place. Absolute prescience belongs to God only.

Of things of the most accidental and mutable nature, God's prescience is certain.

Prescient

PRESCIENT, adjective presi'ent or pre'shent. Foreknowing; having knowledge of events before they take place.

Who taught the nations of the field and wood,

PRESCIENT, the tides or tempests to withstand?

Prescind

PRESCIND', verb transitive [Latin proescindo; proe and scindo, to cut.]

To cut off; to abstract. [Little used.]

Prescindent

PRESCIND'ENT, adjective Cutting off; abstracting.

Prescious

PRE'SCIOUS, adjective [Latin proescius; proe and scio, to know.]

Foreknowing; having foreknowledge; as prescious of ills.

Prescribe

PRESCRI'BE, verb transitive [Latin proescribo, to write before.]

1. In medicine, to direct, as a remedy to be used or applied to a diseased patient. Be not offended with the physician who prescribes harsh remedies.

2. To set or lay down authoritatively for direction; to give as a rule of conduct; as, to prescribe laws or rules.

There's joy, when to wild will you laws prescribe

3. To direct.

Let streams prescribe their fountains where to run.

PRESCRI'BE, verb intransitive To write or give medical directions; to direct what remedies are to be used; as, to prescribe for a patient in a fever.

1. To give law; to influence arbitrarily.

A forwardness to prescribe to the opinions of others.

2. In law, to claim by prescription; to claim a title to a thing by immemorial use and enjoyment; with for. A man may be allowed to prescribe for a right of way, a common or the like; a man cannot prescribe for a castle; he can prescribe only for incorporeal hereditaments.

3. To influence by long use.

Prescribed

PRESCRI'BED, participle passive Directed; ordered.

Prescriber

PRESCRI'BER, noun One that prescribes.

Prescribing

PRESCRI'BING, participle present tense Directing; giving as a rule of conduct or treatment.

Prescript

PRE'SCRIPT, adjective [Latin proescriptus.] Directed; prescribed.

PRE'SCRIPT, noun [Latin proescriptum.] A direction; a medical order for the use of medicines. [But prescription is chiefly used.]

1. Direction; precept; model prescribed.

Prescriptible

PRESCRIP'TIBLE adjective That may be prescribed for.

Prescription

PRESCRIP'TION, noun [Latin proescriptio. See Prescribe.]

1. The act of prescribing or directing by rules; or that which is prescribed; particularly, a medical direction of remedies for a disease and the manner of using them; a recipe.

2. In law, prescribing for title; the claim of title to a thing by virtue of immemorial use and enjoyment; or the right to a thing derived from such use. prescription differs from custom, which is a local usage. prescription is a personal usage, usage annexed to the person. Nothing but incorporeal hereditaments can be claimed by prescription

The use and enjoyment of navigation and fishery in the sea, for any length of time, does not create a title by prescription The common right of nations to the use and enjoyment of the sea is imprescriptible; it cannot be lost by a particular nation for want of use.

3. In Scots law, the title to lands acquired by uninterrupted possession for the time which the law declares to be sufficient, or 40 years. This is positive prescription Negative prescription is the loss or omission or a right by neglecting to use it during the time limited by law. This term is also used for limitation, in the recovery of money due by bond, etc. Obligations are lost by prescription or neglect of prosecution for the time designated by law.

Prescriptive

PRESCRIP'TIVE, adjective Consisting in or acquired by immemorial use and enjoyment; as a prescriptive right or title.

The right to be drowsy in protracted toil, has become prescriptive

1. Pleading the continuance and authority of custom.

Preseance

PRES'EANCE, noun Priority of place in sitting. [Not in use.]