Prevail – Prismatically

Prevail

PREVA'IL, verb intransitive [Latin proevaleo; proe, before, and valeo, to be strong or well. Valeo seems to be from the same root as the Eng. well. The primary sense is to stretch or strain forward, to advance.]

1. To overcome; to gain the victory or superiority; to gain the advantage.

When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. Exodus 17:11.

With over or against.

David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone. 1 Samuel 17:9.

This kingdom could never prevail against the united power of England.

2. To be in force; to have effect; power or influence.

This custom makes the short-sighted bigots and the warier skeptics, as far as ir prevails.

3. To be predominant; to extend over with force or effect. The fever prevailed in a great part of the city.

4. To gain or have predominant influence; to operate with effect. These reasons, arguments or motives ought to prevail with all candid men. In this sense, it is followed by with.

5. To persuade or induce; with on or upon. They prevailed on the president to ratify the treaty. It is also followed by with. They could not prevail with the king to pardon the offender. But on is more common in modern practice.

6. To succeed. The general attempted to take the fort by assault, but did not prevail The most powerful arguments were employed, but they did not prevail

Prevailing

PREVA'ILING, participle present tense Gaining advantage, superiority or victory; having effect; persuading; succeeding.

1. adjective Predominant; having more influence; prevalent; superior in power. The love of money and the love of power are the prevailing passions of men.

2. Efficacious.

Saints shall assist thee with prevailing prayers.

3. Predominant; most general; as the prevailing disease of a climate; a prevailing opinion. Intemperance is the prevailing vice of many countries.

Prevailment

PREVA'ILMENT, adjective Prevalence. [Little used.]

Prevalence

PREV'ALENCE

PREV'ALENCY, noun Superior strength, influence or efficacy; most efficacious force in producing an effect.

The duke better knew what kind of arguments were of prevalence with him.

1. Predominance; most general reception or practice; as the prevalence of vice, or of corrupt maxims; the prevalence of opinion or fashion.

2. Most general existence or extension; as, the prevalence of a disease.

3. Success; as the prevalence of prayer.

Prevalency

PREV'ALENCY, n. Superior strength, influence or efficacy; most efficacious force in producing an effect. The duke better knew what kind of arguments were of prevalence with him.1. Predominance; most general reception or practice; as the prevalence of vice, or of corrupt maxims; the prevalence of opinion or fashion.2. Most general existence or extension; as, the prevalence of a disease.3. Success; as the prevalence of prayer.

Prevalent

PREV'ALENT, adjective Gaining advantage or superiority; victorious.

Brennus told the Roman embassadors, that prevalent arms were as good as any title.

1. Powerful; efficacious; successful; as prevalent supplications.

2. Predominant; most generally received or current; as a prevalent opinion.

3. Predominant; most general; extensively existing; as a prevalent disease.

Prevalently

PREV'ALENTLY, adverb With predominance or superiority; powerfully.

The evening star so falls into the main

To rise at morn more prevalently bright.

Prevaricate

PREVAR'ICATE, verb intransitive [Latin proevaricor; proe and varico, varicor, to straddle.]

1. To shuffle; to quibble; to shift or turn from one side to the other, from the direct course or from truth; to play foul play.

I would think better of himself, than that he would wilfully prevaricate

2. In the civil law, to collude; as where an informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham prosecution.

3. In English law, to undertake a thing falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying it.

PREVAR'ICATE, verb transitive To pervert; to corrupt; to evade by a quibble. [But in a transitive sense, this word is seldom or never used.]

Prevarication

PREVARICA'TION, noun A shuffling or quibbling to evade the truth or the disclosure of truth; the practice of some trick for evading what is just or honorable; a deviation from the plain path of truth and fair dealing.

1. In the civil law, the collusion of an informer with the defendant, for the purpose of making a sham prosecution.

2. In common law, a seeming to undertake a thing falsely or deceitfully, for the purpose of defeating or destroying it.

3. A secret abuse in the exercise of a public office or commission.

Prevaricator

PREVAR'ICATOR, noun One that prevaricates; a shuffler; a quibbler.

1. A sham dealer; one who colludes with a defendant in a sham prosecution.

2. One who abuses his trust.

Prevene

PREVE'NE, verb transitive [Latin proevenio; proe, before, and venio, to come.]

Literally, to come before; hence, to hinder. [Not used.]

Prevenient

PREVE'NIENT, adjective [Latin proeveniens.] Going before; preceding; hence, preventive; as prevenient grace.

Prevent

PREVENT', verb transitive [Latin proevenio, supra.]

1. To go before; to precede.

I prevented the dawning of the morning, and cried. Psalms 119:148.

2. To precede, as something unexpected or unsought.

The days of my affliction prevented me. Job 30:27.

2 Samuel 22:6.

3. To go before; to precede; to favor by anticipation or by hindering distress or evil.

The God of my mercy shall prevent me. Psalms 59:10.

PREVENT us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favor.

4. To anticipate.

Their ready guilt preventing thy commands.

5. To preoccupy; to pre-engage; to attempt first.

Thou hast prevented us with overtures of love.

[In all the preceding senses, the word is obsolete.]

6. To hinder; to obstruct; to intercept the approach or access of. This is now the only sense. No foresight or care will prevent every misfortune. Religion supplies consolation under afflictions which cannot be prevented. It is easier to prevent an evil than to remedy it.

Too great confidence in success, is the likeliest to prevent it.

PREVENT', verb intransitive To come before the usual time. [Not in use.]

Preventable

PREVENT'ABLE, adjective That may be prevented or hindered.

Prevented

PREVENT'ED, participle passive Hindered from happening or taking effect.

Preventer

PREVENT'ER, noun One that goes before. [Not in use.]

1. One that hinders; a hinderer; that which hinders; as a preventer of evils or of disease.

Preventing

PREVENT'ING, participle present tense Going before.

1. Hindering; obviating.

Preventingly

PREVENT'INGLY, adverb In such a manner or way as to hinder.

Prevention

PREVEN'TION, noun The act of going before.

1. Preoccupation; anticipation. [Little used.]

2. The act of hindering; hinderance; obstruction of access or approach.

Prevention of sin is one of the greatest mercies God can vouchsafe.

3. Prejudice; prepossession; a French sense, but not in use in English.

Preventional

PREVEN'TIONAL, adjective Tending to prevent.

Preventive

PREVENT'IVE, adjective Tending to hinder; hindering the access of; as a medicine preventive of disease.

PREVENT'IVE, noun That which prevents; that which intercepts the access or approach of. Temperance and exercise are excellent preventives of debility and languor.

1. An antidote previously taken. A medicine may be taken as a preventive of disease.

Preventively

PREVENT'IVELY, adverb By way of prevention; in a manner that tends to hinder.

Previous

PRE'VIOUS, adjective [Latin proevius; proe, before, and via, way, that is, a going.] Going before in time; being or happening before something else; antecedent; prior; as a previous intimation of a design; a previous notion; a previous event.

Sound from the mountain, previous to the storm,

Rolls o'er the muttering earth.

Previously

PRE'VIOUSLY, adverb In time preceding; beforehand; antecedently; as a plan previously formed.

Previousness

PRE'VIOUSNESS, noun Antecedence; priority in time.

Prevision

PREVI'SION, noun s as z. [Latin proevisus, proevideo; proe, before, and video, to see.] Foresight; foreknowledge; prescience.

Prewarn

PREWARN', verb transitive [See Warn.]

To warn beforehand; to give previous notice of.

Prey

PREY, noun [Latin proeda.]

1. Spoil; booty; plunder; goods taken by force from an enemy in war.

And they brought the captives and the prey and the spoil to Moses and Eleazar the priest. Numbers 31:11.

In this passage, the captives are distinguished from prey But sometimes persons are included.

They [Judah] shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies. 2 Kings 21:14.

2. That which is seized or may be seized by violence to be devoured; ravine. The eagle and the hawk dart upon their prey

She sees herself the monster's prey

The old lion perisheth for lack of prey Job 4:11.

3. Ravage; depredation.

Hog in sloth, fox in stealth, lion in prey

Animal or beast of prey is a carnivorous animal; one that feeds on the flesh of other animals. The word is applied to the larger animals, as lions, tigers, hawks, vultures, etc. rather than to insects; yet an insect feeding on other insects may be called an animal of prey

PREY, verb intransitive To prey on or upon, is to rob; to plunder; to pillage.

1. To feed by violence, or to seize and devour. The wolf preys on sheep; the hawk preys on chickens.

2. To corrode; to waste gradually; to cause to pine away. Grief preys on the body and spirits; envy and jealousy prey on the health.

Language is too faint to show

His rage of love; it preys upon his life;

He pines, he sickens, he despairs, he dies.

Preyer

PREYER, noun He or that which preys; a plunderer; a waster; a devourer.

Preying

PREYING, participle present tense Plundering; corroding; wasting gradually.

Price

PRICE, noun [Latin pretium. See Praise.]

1. The sum or amount of money at which a thing is valued, or the value which a seller sets on his goods in market. A man often sets a price on goods which he cannot obtain, and often takes less than the price set.

2. The sum or equivalent given for an article sold; as the price paid for a house, an ox or a watch.

3. The current value or rate paid for any species of goods; as the market price of wheat.

4. Value; estimation; excellence; worth.

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. Proverbs 31:10.

5. Reward; recompense.

That vice may merit; 'tis the price of toil;

The knave deserves it when he tills the soil.

The price of redemption, is the atonement of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 6:20.

A price in the hands of a fool, the valuable offers of salvation, which he neglects. Proverbs 17:16.

PRICE, verb transitive To pay for. [Not in use.]

1. To set a price on. [See Prize.]

Priceless

PRI'CELESS, adjective Invaluable; too valuable to admit of a price.

1. Without value; worthless or unsalable.

Prick

PRICK, verb transitive

1. To pierce with a sharp pointed instrument or substance; as, to prick one with a pin, a needle, a thorn or the like.

2. To erect a pointed thing, or with an acuminated point; applied chiefly to the ears, and primarily to the pointed ears of an animal. The horse pricks his ears, or pricks up his ears.

3. To fix by the point; as, to prick a knife into a board.

4. To hang on a point.

The cooks prick a slice on a prong of iron.

5. To designate by a puncture or mark.

Some who are pricked for sheriffs, and are fit, set out of the bill.

6. To spur; to goad; to incite; sometimes with on or off.

My duty pricks me on to utter that

Which no worldly good should draw from me.

But how if honor prick me off.

7. To affect with sharp pain; to sting with remorse.

When they heard this, they were pricked in their hearts. Acts 2:37. Psalms 73:21.

8. To make acid or pungent to the taste; as, wine is pricked.

9. To write a musical composition with the proper notes on a scale.

10. In seamen's language, to run a middle seam through the cloth of a sail.

To prick a chart, is to trace a ship's course on a chart.

PRICK, verb intransitive To become acid; as, cider pricks in the rays of the sun.

1. To dress one's self for show.

2. To come upon the spur; to shoot along.

Before each van

PRICK forth the airy knights.

3. To aim at a point, mark or place.

PRICK, noun

1. A slender pointed instrument or substance, which is hard enough to pierce the skin; a goad; a spur.

It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. Acts 9:5.

2. Sharp stinging pain; remorse.

3. A spot or mark at which archers aim.

4. A point; a fixed place.

5. A puncture or place entered by a point.

6. The print of a hare on the ground.

7. In seamen's language, a small roll; as a prick of spun yarn; a prick of tobacco.

Pricked

PRICK'ED, participle passive Pierced with a sharp point; spurred; goaded; stung with pain; rendered acid or pungent; marked; designated.

Pricker

PRICK'ER, noun A sharp pointed instrument.

1. In colloquial use, a prickle.

2. A light horseman. [Not in use.]

Pricket

PRICK'ET, noun A buck in his second year.

Pricking

PRICK'ING, participle present tense Piercing with a sharp point; goading; affecting with pungent pain; making or becoming acid.

PRICK'ING, noun A sensation of sharp pain, or of being pricked.

Prickle

PRICK'LE, noun In botany, a small pointed shoot or sharp process, growing from the bark only, and thus distinguished from the thorn, which grows from the wood of a plant. Thus the rose, the bramble, the gooseberry and the barberry are armed with prickles.

1. A sharp pointed process of an animal.

Prickle-Back

PRICK'LE-BACK, noun A small fish, so named from the prickles on its back; the stickle-back.

Prickliness

PRICK'LINESS, noun [from prickly.] The state of having many prickles.

Pricklouse

PRICK'LOUSE, noun A low word in contempt for a taylor.

Prickly

PRICK'LY, adjective Full of sharp points or prickles; armed with prickles; as a prickly shrub.

Prickmadam

PRICK'MADAM, noun A species of house-leek.

Prickpunch

PRICK'PUNCH, noun A piece of tempered steel with a round point, to prick a round mark on cold iron.

Pricksong

PRICK'SONG, noun A song set to music, or a variegated song; in distinction from a plain song.

Prickwood

PRICK'WOOD, noun A tree of the genus Euonymus.

Pride

PRIDE, noun

1. Inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one's own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or elevation in office, which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often in contempt of others.

Martial pride looks down on industry.

PRIDE goeth before destruction. Proverbs 16:18.

PRIDE that dines on vanity, sups on contempt.

All pride is abject and mean.

Those that walk in pride he is able to abase. Daniel 4:37.

2. Insolence; rude treatment of others; insolent exultation.

That hardly we escap'd the pride of France.

3. Generous elation of heart; a noble self-esteem springing from a consciousness of worth.

The honest pride of conscious virtue.

4. Elevation; loftiness.

A falcon tow'ring in her pride of place.

5. Decoration; ornament; beauty displayed.

Whose lofty trees, clad with summer's pride

Be his this sword

Whose ivory sheath, inwrought with curious pride

Adds graceful terror to the wearer's side.

6. Splendid show; ostentation.

Is this array, the war of either side

Through Athens pass'd with military pride

7. That of which men are proud; that which excites boasting.

I will cut off the pride of the Philistines. Zechariah 9:6. Zephaniah 3:11.

8. Excitement of the sexual appetite in a female beast.

9. Proud persons. Psalms 36:11.

PRIDE, verb transitive With the reciprocal pronoun, to pride one's self, to indulge pride; to take pride; to value one's self; to gratify self-esteem. They pride themselves in their wealth, dress or equipage. He prides himself in his achievements.

Prideful

PRI'DEFUL, adjective Full of pride; insolent; scornful.

Prideless

PRI'DELESS, adjective Destitute of pride; without pride.

Priding

PRI'DING, participle present tense Indulging pride or self-esteem; taking pride; valuing one's self.

Pridingly

PRI'DINGLY, adverb With pride; in pride of heart.

Prie

PRIE, supposed to be so written for privet.

PRIE, for pry.

Prief

PRIEF, for proof, obsolete.

Prier

PRI'ER, noun [from pry.] One who inquires narrowly; one who searches and scrutinizes.

Priest

PRIEST, noun [Latin proestes, a chief, one that presides; proe, before, and sto, to stand, or sisto.]

1. A man who officiates in sacred offices. Among pagans, priests were persons whose appropriate business was to offer sacrifices and perform other sacred rites of religion. In primitive ages, the fathers of families, princes and kings were priests. Thus Cain and Abel, Noah, Abraham, Melchizedek, Job, Isaac and Jacob offered their own sacrifices. In the days of Moses, the office of priest was restricted to the tribe of Levi, and the priesthood consisted of three orders, the high priest the priests, and the Levites, and the office was made hereditary in the family of Aaron.

Every priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. Hebrews 5:1.

2. In the modern church, a person who is set apart or consecrated to the ministry of the gospel; a man in orders or licensed to preach the gospel; a presbyter. In its most general sense, the word includes archbishops, bishops, patriarchs, and all subordinate orders of the clergy, duly approved and licensed according to the forms and rules of each respective denomination of christians; as all these orders 'are ordained for men in things pertaining to God.' But in Great Britain, the word is understood to denote the subordinate orders of the clergy, above a deacon and below a bishop. In the United States, the word denotes any licensed minister of the gospel.

Priestcraft

PRIE'STCRAFT, noun [priest and craft.] The stratagems and frauds of priests; fraud or imposition in religious concerns; management of selfish and ambitious priests to gain wealth and power, or to impose on the credulity of others.

Priestess

PRIE'STESS, noun A female among pagans, who officiated in sacred things.

Priesthood

PRIE'STHOOD, noun The office or character of a priest.

1. The order of men set apart for sacred offices; the order composed of priests.

Priestlike

PRIE'STLIKE, adjective Resembling a priest, or that which belongs to priests.

Priestliness

PRIE'STLINESS, noun The appearance and manner of a priest.

Priestly

PRIE'STLY, adjective Pertaining to a priest or to priests; sacerdotal; as the priestly office.

1. Becoming a priest; as priestly sobriety and purity of life.

Priestridden

PRIE'STRIDDEN, adjective [priest and ridden. See Ride.] Managed or governed by priests.

Prieve

PRIEVE, for prove.

Prig

PRIG, noun

1. A pert, conceited, saucy, pragmatical fellow.

2. A thief.

PRIG, verb intransitive To haggle about the price of a commodity.

PRIG, verb transitive To filch or steal.

Prill

PRILL, noun A birt or turbot.

Prim

PRIM, adjective Properly, straight; erect; hence, formal; precise; affectedly nice.

PRIM, verb transitive To deck with great nicety; to form with affected preciseness.

Primacy

PRI'MACY, noun [Latin primatus, from primus, first. See Prime.]

1. The chief ecclesiastical station or dignity; the office or dignity of an archbishop.

2. Excellency; supremacy.

Primage

PRI'MAGE, noun In commerce, a small duty payable to the master and mariners of a ship.

Primal

PRI'MAL, adjective [See Prime.] First. [Not in use.]

Primarily

PRI'MARILY, adverb [from primary.] In the first place; originally; in the first intention. The word emperor primarily signifies a general or military commander in chief. In diseases, the physician is to attend to the part primarily affected.

Primariness

PRI'MARINESS, noun The state of being first in time, in act or intention.

Primary

PRI'MARY, adjective [Latin primarius. See Prime.]

1. First in order of time; original; as the church of Christ in its primary institution.

These I call original or primary qualities of body.

2. First in dignity or importance; chief; principal. Our ancestors considered the education of youth or primary importance.

3. Elemental; intended to teach youth the first rudiments; as primary schools.

4. Radical; original; as the primary sense of a word.

Primary planets, are those which revolve about the sun, in distinction form the secondary planets, which revolve about the primary

Primary qualities of bodies, are such as are original and inseparable from them.

Primate

PRI'MATE, noun [Low Latin primas. See Prime.]

The chief ecclesiastic in the church; an archbishop.

Primateship

PRI'MATESHIP, noun The office or dignity of an archbishop.

Primatial

PRIMA'TIAL, adjective Pertaining to a primate.

Primatical

PRIMAT'ICAL, adjective Pertaining to a primate.

Prime

PRIME, adjective [Latin primus.]

1. First in order of time; original; as prime fathers; prime creation.

In this sense, the use of the word is nearly superseded by primitive, except in the phrase, prime cost.

2. First in rank, degree or dignity; as prime minister.

3. First in excellence; as prime wheat; cloth of a prime quality. Humility and resignation are prime virtues.

4. Early; blooming.

His starry helm unbuckl'd, showed him prime

In manhood, where youth ended.

5. First in value or importance.

PRIME number, in arithmetic, a number which is divisible only by unity, as 5.7.ll.

PRIME figure, in geometry, a figure which cannot be divided into any other figure more simple than itself, as a triangle, a pyramid, etc.

PRIME, noun The first opening of day; the dawn; the morning.

Early and late it rung, at evening and at prime

The sweet hour of prime

1. The beginning; the early days.

In the very prime of the world.

2. The spring of the year.

Hope waits upon the flower prime

3. The spring of life; youth; hence, full health, strength or beauty.

That crop the golden prime of this sweet prince.

The prime of youth.

4. The best part.

Give him always of the prime

5. The utmost perfection.

The plants--would have been all in prime

6. In the Romish church, the first canonical hour, succeeding to lauds.

7. In fencing, the first of the chief guards.

8. In chimistry, primes are numbers employed, in conformity with the doctrine of definite proportions, to express the ratios in which bodies enter into combination. Primes duly arranged in a table, constitute a scale of chimical equivalents. They also express the ratios of the weights of atoms, according to the atomic theory.

PRIME of the moon, the new moon, when it first appears after the change.

vertical, the vertical circle which passes through the poles of the meridian, or the east and west points of the horizon. Dials projected on the plane of this circle, are called prime vertical or north and south dials.

PRIME, verb transitive To put powder in the pan of a musket or other fire-arm; or to lay a train of powder for communicating fire to a charge.

1. To lay on the first color in painting.

PRIME, verb intransitive To serve for the charge of a gun.

Primed

PRI'MED, participle passive Having powder in the pan; having the first color in painting.

Primely

PRI'MELY, adverb At first; originally; primarily.

1. Most excellently.

Primeness

PRI'MENESS, noun The state of being first.

1. Supreme excellence. [Little used in either sense.]

Primer

PRI'MER, adjective First; original. [Not in use.]

PRIM'ER, noun A small prayer book for church service, or an office of the virgin Mary.

1. A small elementary book for teaching children to read.

Primer-Fine

PRIMER-FI'NE, noun In England, a fine due to the king on the writ or commencement of a suit by fine.

Primer-Seizin

PRIMER-SE'IZIN, noun [prime and seizin.] In feudal law, the right of the king, when a tenant in capite died seized of a knight's fee, to receive of the heir, if of full age, one year's profits of the land if in possession, and half a year's profits if the land was in reversions expectant on an estate for life; abolished by 12 Car.2.

Primero

PRIME'RO, noun A game at cards.

Primeval

PRIME'VAL, adjective [Latin primus, first, and oevum, age, primoevus.]

Original; primitive; as the primeval innocence of man; primeval day.

Primevous

PRIME'VOUS, adjective Primeval.

Primigenial

PRIMIGE'NIAL, adjective [Latin primigenius; primus, first, and genus, kind, or gignor, to beget.] First born; original; primary.

Primigenous

PRIMIG'ENOUS, adjective [supra.] First formed or generated; original; as semi-primigenous strata.

Priming

PRI'MING, participle present tense Putting powder in the pan of a fire-arm.

1. Laying on the first color.

PRI'MING, noun The powder in the pan of a gun, or laid along the channel of a cannon for conveying fire to the charge.

1. Among painters, the first color laid on canvas or on a building, etc.

Priming-Wire

PRI'MING-WIRE, noun A pointed wire, used to penetrate the vent of a piece, for examining the powder of the charge or for piercing the cartridge.

Primipilar

PRIMIP'ILAR, adjective [Latin primipilus, the centurion of the first cohort of a Roman legion.] Pertaining to the captain of the vanguard.

Primitial

PRIMI'TIAL, adjective Being of the first production.

Primitive

PRIM'ITIVE, adjective [Latin primitivus; from primus, first.]

1. Pertaining to the beginning or origin; original; first; as the primitive state of Adam; primitive innocence; primitive ages; the primitive church; the primitive christian church or institutions; the primitive fathers.

2. Formal; affectedly solemn; imitating the supposed gravity of old times.

3. Original; primary; radical; not derived; as a primitive verb in grammar.

Primitive rocks, in geology, rocks supposed to be first formed, being irregularly crystallized, and aggregated without a cement,

and containing no organic remains; as granite, gneiss, etc.

PRIM'ITIVE, noun An original word; a word not derived from another.

Primitively

PRIM'ITIVELY, adverb Originally; at first.

1. Primarily; not derivatively.

2. According to the original rule or ancient practice.

Primitiveness

PRIM'ITIVENESS, noun State of being original; antiquity; conformity to antiquity.

Primity

PRIM'ITY, noun The state of being original. [Not used.]

Primness

PRIM'NESS, noun [from prim.] Affected formality or niceness; stiffness; preciseness.

Primogenial

PRIMOGE'NIAL, adjective [Latin primigenius. See Primigenial.]

First born, made or generated; original; primary; constituent; elemental; as primogenial light; primogenial bodies.

Primogenitor

PRIMOGEN'ITOR, noun [Latin primus, first, and genitor, father.]

The first father or forefather.

Primogeniture

PRIMOGEN'ITURE, noun [Latin primus, first, and genitus, begotten.

1. The state of being born first of the same parents; seniority by birth among children.

2. In law, the right which belongs to the eldest son or daughter. Thus in Great Britain, the right of inheriting the estate of the father belongs to the eldest son, and in the royal family, the eldest son of the king is entitled to the throne by primogeniture Among the females, the crown descends by right of primogeniture to the eldest daughter only and her issue.

Before the revolution, primogeniture in some of the American colonies, entitled the eldest son to a double portion of his father's estate, but this right has been abolished.

Primogenitureship

PRIMOGEN'ITURESHIP, noun The right of eldership.

Primordial

PRIMOR'DIAL, adjective [Latin primordialis, primordium; primus, first, and ordo, order.] First in order; original; existing from the beginning.

PRIMOR'DIAL, noun Origin; first principle or element.

Primordian

PRIMOR'DIAN, noun A kind of plum.

Primordiate

PRIMOR'DIATE, adjective [See Primordial.] Original; existing from the first.

Primp

PRIMP, verb intransitive To be formal or affected. [Not English, or local.]

Primrose

PRIM'ROSE, noun s as z. [Latin primula veris; primus, first, and rose; literally, the first or an early rose in spring.]

A plant of the genus Primula, of several varieties, as the white, the red, the yellow flowered, the cowslip, etc. Shakespeare uses the word for gay or flowery; as the primrose way.

Primy

PRI'MY, adjective Blooming. [Not used.]

Prince

PRINCE, noun prins. [Latin princeps.]

1. In a general sense, a sovereign; the chief and independent ruler of a nation or state. Thus when we speak of the princes of Europe, we include emperors and kings. Hence, a chief in general; as a prince of the celestial host.

2. A sovereign in a certain territory; one who has the government of a particular state or territory, but holds of a superior to whom he owes certain services; as the princes of the German states.

3. The son of a king or emperor, or the issue of a royal family; as princes of the blood. In England, the eldest son of the king is created prince of Wales.

4. The chief of any body of men.

5. A chief or ruler of either sex. Queen Elizabeth is called by Camden prince but this application is unusual and harsh.

PRINCE of the senate, in ancient Rome, was the person first called in the roll of senators. He was always of consular and censorian

dignity.

In Scripture, this name prince is given to God, Daniel 8:11; to Christ, who is called the prince of peace, Isaiah 9:6, and the prince of life, Acts 3:15; to the chief of the priests, the prince of the sanctuary, Isaiah 43:28; to the Roman emperor, Daniel 9:25; to men of superior worth and excellence, Ecclesiastes 10:7; to nobles, counselors and officers of a kingdom, Isa 10; to the chief men of families or tribes, Numbers 17:6; to Satan, who is called the prince of this world, John 12:31., and prince of the power of the air, Ephesians 2:2.

PRINCE, verb intransitive To play the prince; to take state.

Princedom

PRINCEDOM, noun prins'dom. The jurisdiction, sovereignty, rank or estate of a prince.

Under thee, as head supreme,

Thrones, princedoms, powers, dominions, I reduce.

Princelike

PRINCELIKE, adjective prins'like. Becoming a prince.

Princeliness

PRINCELINESS, noun prins'liness. [from princely.]

The state, manner or dignity of a prince.

Princely

PRINCELY, adjective prins'ly. Resembling a prince; having the appearance of one high born; stately; dignified; as a princely gentleman; a princely youth.

1. Having the rank of princes; as a man of princely birth; a princely dame.

2. Becoming a prince; royal; grand; august; as a princely gift; princely virtues.

3. Very large; as a princely fortune.

4. Magnificent; rich; as a princely entertainment.

PRINCELY, adverb prins'ly. In a princelike manner.

PRINCES'-FETHER, noun A plant of the genus Amaranthus.

Prince's metal, a mixture of copper and zink, in imitation of gold.

Princess

PRIN'CESS, noun A female sovereign, as an empress or queen.

1. A sovereign lady of rank next to that of a queen.

2. The daughter of a king.

3. The consort of a prince; as the princess of Wales.

Principal

PRIN'CIPAL, adjective [Latin principalis, from princeps.]

1. Chief; highest in rank, character or respectability; as the principal officers of a government; the principal men of a city, town, or state. Acts 25:23. 1 Chronicles 24:6.

2. Chief; most important or considerable; as the principal topics of debate; the principal arguments in a case; the principal points of law; the principal beams of a building; the principal productions of a country.

Wisdom is the principal thing. Proverbs 4:7.

3. In law, a principal challenge, is where the cause assigned carries with it prima facie evidence of partiality, favor or malice.

4. In music, fundamental.

PRIN'CIPAL, noun A chief or head; one who takes the lead; as the principal of a faction, an insurrection or mutiny.

1. The president, governor, or chief in authority. We apply the word to the chief instructor of an academy or seminary of learning.

2. In law, the actor or absolute perpetrator of a crime, or an abettor. A principal in the first degree, is the absolute perpetrator of the crime; a principal in the second degree, is one who is present, aiding and abetting the fact to be done; distinguished from an accessory. In treason, all persons concerned are principals.

3. In commerce, a capital sum lent on interest, due as a debt or used as a fund; so called in distinction from interest or profits.

Taxes must be continued, because we have no other means for paying off the principal

4. One primarily engaged; a chief party; in distinction from an auxiliary.

We were not principals, but auxiliaries in the war.

Principality

PRINCIPAL'ITY, noun

1. Sovereignty; supreme power.

2. A prince; one invested with sovereignty. Titus 3:1.

3. The territory of a prince; or the country which gives title to a prince; as the principality of Wales.

4. Superiority; predominance. [Little used.]

5. In Scripture, royal state or attire. Jeremiah 13:1.

Principally

PRIN'CIPALLY, adverb Chiefly; above all.

They mistake the nature of criticism, who think its business is principally to find fault.

Principalness

PRIN'CIPALNESS, noun The state of being principal or chief.

Principate

PRIN'CIPATE, noun Principality; supreme rule.

Principia

PRINCIP'IA, noun plural [Latin principium.] First principles.

Principiation

PRINCIPIA'TION, noun [from Latin principium.] Analysis into constituent or elemental parts. [Not used.]

Principle

PRIN'CIPLE, noun [Latin principium, beginning.]

1. In a general sense, the cause, source or origin of any thing; that from which a thing proceeds; as the principle of motion; the principles of action.

2. Element; constituent part; primordial substance.

Modern philosophers suppose matter to be one simple principle or solid extension diversified by its various shapes.

3. Being that produces any thing; operative cause.

The soul of man is an active principle

4. In science, a truth admitted either without proof, or considered as having been before proved. In the former sense, it is synonymous with axiom; in the latter, with the phrase, established principle

5. Ground; foundation; that which supports an assertion, an action, or a series of actions or of reasoning. On what principle can this be affirmed or denied? He justifies his proceedings on the principle of expedience or necessity. He reasons on sound principles.

6. A general truth; a law comprehending many subordinate truths; as the principles of morality, of law, of government, etc.

7. Tenet; that which is believed, whether truth or not, but which serves as a rule of action or the basis of a system; as the principles of the Stoics, or of the Epicureans.

8. A principle of human nature, is a law of action in human beings; a constitutional propensity common to the human species. Thus it is a principle of human nature to resent injuries and repel insults.

PRIN'CIPLE, verb transitive To establish or fix in tenets; to impress with any tenet, good or ill; chiefly used in the participle.

Men have been principled with an opinion, that they must not consult reason in things of religion.

1. To establish firmly in the mind.

Principled

PRIN'CIPLED, participle passive Established in opinion or in tenets; firmly fixed in the mind.

Princock

PRIN'COCK

PRIN'COX, noun A coxcomb; a conceited person; a pert young rogue; a ludicrous word. [Little used.]

Princox

PRIN'COX, n. A coxcomb; a conceited person; a pert young rogue; a ludicrous word. [Little used.]

Prink

PRINK, verb intransitive

1. To prank; to dress for show.

2. To strut; to put on stately airs.

Print

PRINT, verb transitive [Latin imprimo; in and premo, to press; promptus, pressed or pressing forward.]

1. In general, to take or form letters, characters or figures on paper, cloth or other material by impression. Thus letters are taken on paper by impressing it on types blackened with ink. Figures are printed on cloth by means of blocks or a cylinder. The rolling press is employed to take prints on impressions from copper- plates. Thus we say, to print books, to print calico, to print tunes, music, likenesses, etc.

2. To mark by pressing one thing on another.

On his fiery steed betimes he rode,

That scarcely prints the turf on which he trod.

3. To impress any thing so as to leave its form.

Perhaps some footsteps printed in the clay--

4. To form by impression.

Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh.

PRINT, verb intransitive To use or practice the art of typography, or of taking impressions of letters, figures and the like.

1. To publish a book. [Elliptical.]

From the moment he prints, he must expect to hear no more of truth.

PRINT, noun A mark made by impression; any line, character, figure or indentation of any form, made by the pressure of one body or thing on another; as the print of the tooth or of the nails in flesh; the print of the foot in sand or snow; the print of a wheel; the print of types on paper. Hence,

1. The impression of types in general, as to form, size, etc.; as a small print; a large print; a fair print

2. That which impresses its form on any thing; as a butter print; a wooden print

3. The representation or figure of any thing made by impression; as the print of the face; the print of a temple; prints of antiquities.

4. The state of being printed and published. Diffidence sometimes prevents a man from suffering his works to appear; in print

I love a ballad in print

5. A single sheet printed for sale; a newspaper.

The prints, about three days after, were filled with the same terms.

6. Formal method. [Not in use.]

Out of print a phrase which signifies that, of a printed and published work, there are no copies for sale, or none for sale by the publisher.

Printed

PRINT'ED, participle passive Impressed; indented.

Printer

PRINT'ER, noun One that prints books, pamphlets or papers.

1. One that stains or prints cloth with figures, as calico.

2. One that impresses letters or figures with copper-plates.

Printing

PRINT'ING, participle present tense Impressing letters, characters or figures on any thing; making marks or indentations.

PRINT'ING, noun The art or practice of impressing letters, characters or figures on paper, cloth or other material; the business of a printer; typography.

Printing-Ink

PRINT'ING-INK, noun Ink used by printers of books.

Printing-Paper

PRINT'ING-PAPER, noun Paper to be used in the printing of books, pamphlets, etc.; as distinguished from writing-paper, press-paper, wrapping-paper, etc.

Printing-Press

PRINT'ING-PRESS, noun A press for the printing of books, etc.

Printless

PRINT'LESS, adjective That leaves no print or impression; as printless feet.

Prior

PRI'OR, adjective [Latin comparative Probably the first syllable is contracted from pris, prid, or some other word, for the Latin has prisce, pristinus.]

Preceding in the order of time; former; antecedent; anterior; as a prior discovery; prior obligation. The discovery of the continent of American by Cabot was six or seven weeks prior to the discovery of it by Columbus. The discovery of the Labrador coast by Cabot was on the 11th of June, 1499; that of the continent by Columbus, was on the first of August of the same year.

PRI'OR, noun [Latin prior ]

1. The superior of a convent of monks, or one next in dignity to an abbot. Priors are claustral or conventical. The conventical are the same as abbots. A claustral prior is one that governs the religious of an abbey or priory in commendam, having his jurisdiction wholly from the abbot.

2. In some churches, one who presides over others in the same churches.

Priorate

PRI'ORATE, noun Government by a prior.

Prioress

PRI'ORESS, noun A female superior of a convent of nuns.

Priority

PRIOR'ITY, noun The state of being antecedent in time, or of preceding something else; as priority of birth. The priority of Homer or Hesiod has been a subject of dispute.

1. Precedence in place or rank.

Priority of debts, is a superior claim to payment, or to payment before others.

Priorly

PRI'ORLY, adverb Antecedently. [A bad word and not used.]

Priorship

PRI'ORSHIP, noun The state or office of prior.

Priory

PRI'ORY, noun A convent of which a prior is the superior; in dignity below an abbey.

1. Priories are the churches given to priors in titulum, or by way of title.

Prisage

PRI'SAGE, noun A right belonging to the crown of England, of taking two tons of wine from every ship importing twenty tons or more; one before and one behind the mast. This by charter of Edward I. was exchanged into a duty of two shillings for every tun imported by merchant strangers, and called butlerage, because paid to the king's butler.

Priscillianist

PRISCIL'LIANIST, noun In church history, one of a sect so denominated from Priscillian, a Spaniard, bishop of Avila, who practiced magic, maintained the errors of the Manichees, and held it to be lawful to make false oaths in the support of one's cause and interest.

Prism

PRISM, noun [Low Latin prisma; Gr. to cut with a saw, to press or strain.] A solid whose bases or ends are any similar, equal and parallel plane figures, and whose sides are parallelograms.

A prism of glass is one bounded by two equal and parallel triangular ends and three plain and well polished sides which meet in three parallel lines, running from the three angles of one end to the three angles of the other end.

Prismatic

PRISMAT'IC

PRISMAT'ICAL, adjective Resembling a prism; as a prismatic form.

1. Separated or distributed by a prism; formed by a prism; as prismatic colors.

2. Pertaining to a prism.

Prismatical

PRISMAT'ICAL, a. Resembling a prism; as a prismatic form. 1. Separated or distributed by a prism; formed by a prism; as prismatic colors.2. Pertaining to a prism.

Prismatically

PRISMAT'ICALLY, adverb In the form or manner of a prism.