| Words | Parts of Speech | Meaning/Definition/Similar Words |
|---|---|---|
| prebend | noun | A payment or stipend; esp., the stipend or maintenance granted to a prebendary out of the estate of a cathedral or collegiate church with which he is connected. See Note under Benefice., A prebendary. |
| precant | noun | One who prays. |
| precede | verb t. | To go before in order of time; to occur first with relation to anything., To go before in place, rank, or importance., To cause to be preceded; to preface; to introduce; — used with by or with before the instrumental object. |
| precent | noun | Any commandment, instruction, or order intended as an authoritative rule of action; esp., a command respecting moral conduct; an injunction; a rule., A command in writing; a species of writ or process. |
| precept | verb t. | To teach by precepts. |
| precipe | noun | See Praecipe, and Precept. |
| precise | adjective | Having determinate limitations; exactly or sharply defined or stated; definite; exact; nice; not vague or equivocal; as, precise rules of morality., Strictly adhering or conforming to rule; very nice or exact; punctilious in conduct or ceremony; formal; ceremonious. |
| precoce | adjective | Precocious. |
| predate | verb t. | To date anticipation; to affix to (a document) an earlier than the actual date; to antedate; as, a predated deed or letter. |
| predial | adjective | Consisting of land or farms; landed; as, predial estate; that is, real estate., Attached to land or farms; as, predial slaves., Issuing or derived from land; as, predial tithes. |
| predict | verb t. | To tell or declare beforehand; to foretell; to prophesy; to presage; as, to predict misfortune; to predict the return of a comet., A prediction. |
| predoom | verb t. | To foredoom. |
| preempt | verb t. & i. | To settle upon (public land) with a right of preemption, as under the laws of the United States; to take by preemption. |
| preened | imp. & past participle | of Preen |
| preface | noun | Something spoken as introductory to a discourse, or written as introductory to a book or essay; a proem; an introduction, or series of preliminary remarks., The prelude or introduction to the canon of the Mass., To introduce by a preface; to give a preface to; as, to preface a book discourse., To make a preface. |
| prefect | noun | A Roman officer who controlled or superintended a particular command, charge, department, etc.; as, the prefect of the aqueducts; the prefect of a camp, of a fleet, of the city guard, of provisions; the pretorian prefect, who was commander of the troops guarding the emperor’s person., A superintendent of a department who has control of its police establishment, together with extensive powers of municipal regulation., In the Greek and Roman Catholic churches, a title of certain dignitaries below the rank of bishop. |
| prefine | verb t. | To limit beforehand. |
| preform | verb t. | To form beforehand, or for special ends. |
| pregage | verb t. | To preengage. |
| prehend | verb t. | To lay hold of; to seize. |
| prelacy | noun | The office or dignity of a prelate; church government by prelates., The order of prelates, taken collectively; the body of ecclesiastical dignitaries. |
| prelate | noun | A clergyman of a superior order, as an archbishop or a bishop, having authority over the lower clergy; a dignitary of the church., To act as a prelate. |
| prelaty | noun | Prelacy. |
| prelect | verb t. | To read publicly, as a lecture or discourse., To discourse publicly; to lecture. |
| prelook | verb i. | To look forward. |
| prelude | verb t. | An introductory performance, preceding and preparing for the principal matter; a preliminary part, movement, strain, etc.; especially (Mus.), a strain introducing the theme or chief subject; a movement introductory to a fugue, yet independent; — with recent composers often synonymous with overture., To play an introduction or prelude; to give a prefatory performance; to serve as prelude., To introduce with a previous performance; to play or perform a prelude to; as, to prelude a concert with a lively air., To serve as prelude to; to precede as introductory. |
| premial | adjective | Alt. of Premiant |
| premier | adjective | First; chief; principal; as, the premier place; premier minister., Most ancient; — said of the peer bearing the oldest title of his degree., The first minister of state; the prime minister. |
| premise | noun | A proposition antecedently supposed or proved; something previously stated or assumed as the basis of further argument; a condition; a supposition., Either of the first two propositions of a syllogism, from which the conclusion is drawn., Matters previously stated or set forth; esp., that part in the beginning of a deed, the office of which is to express the grantor and grantee, and the land or thing granted or conveyed, and all that precedes the habendum; the thing demised or granted., A piece of real estate; a building and its adjuncts; as, to lease premises; to trespass on another’s premises., To send before the time, or beforehand; hence, to cause to be before something else; to employ previously., To set forth beforehand, or as introductory to the main subject; to offer previously, as something to explain or aid in understanding what follows; especially, to lay down premises or first propositions, on which rest the subsequent reasonings., To make a premise; to set forth something as a premise. |
| premiss | noun | Premise. |
| premium | noun | A reward or recompense; a prize to be won by being before another, or others, in a competition; reward or prize to be adjudged; a bounty; as, a premium for good behavior or scholarship, for discoveries, etc., Something offered or given for the loan of money; bonus; — sometimes synonymous with interest, but generally signifying a sum in addition to the capital., A sum of money paid to underwriters for insurance, or for undertaking to indemnify for losses of any kind., A sum in advance of, or in addition to, the nominal or par value of anything; as, gold was at a premium; he sold his stock at a premium. |
| prender | noun | The power or right of taking a thing before it is offered. |
| prenote | verb t. | To note or designate beforehand. |
| preoral | adjective | Situated in front of, or anterior to, the mouth; as, preoral bands. |
| prepare | verb t. | To fit, adapt, or qualify for a particular purpose or condition; to make ready; to put into a state for use or application; as, to prepare ground for seed; to prepare a lesson., To procure as suitable or necessary; to get ready; to provide; as, to prepare ammunition and provisions for troops; to prepare ships for defence; to prepare an entertainment., To make all things ready; to put things in order; as, to prepare for a hostile invasion., To make one’s self ready; to get ready; to take the necessary previous measures; as, to prepare for death., Preparation. |
| prepaid | imp. & past participle | of Prepay |
| prepose | verb t. | To place or set before; to prefix. |
| prepuce | noun | The foreskin. |
| presage | verb t. | Something which foreshows or portends a future event; a prognostic; an omen; an augury., Power to look the future, or the exercise of that power; foreknowledge; presentiment., To have a presentiment of; to feel beforehand; to foreknow., To foretell; to predict; to foreshow; to indicate., To form or utter a prediction; — sometimes used with of. |
| present | adjective | Being at hand, within reach or call, within certain contemplated limits; — opposed to absent., Now existing, or in process; begun but not ended; now in view, or under consideration; being at this time; not past or future; as, the present session of Congress; the present state of affairs; the present instance., Not delayed; immediate; instant; coincident., Ready; quick in emergency; as a present wit., Favorably attentive; propitious., Present time; the time being; time in progress now, or at the moment contemplated; as, at this present., Present letters or instrument, as a deed of conveyance, a lease, letter of attorney, or other writing; as in the phrase, ” Know all men by these presents,” that is, by the writing itself, ” per has literas praesentes; ” — in this sense, rarely used in the singular., A present tense, or the form of the verb denoting the present tense., To bring or introduce into the presence of some one, especially of a superior; to introduce formally; to offer for acquaintance; as, to present an envoy to the king; (with the reciprocal pronoun) to come into the presence of a superior., To exhibit or offer to view or notice; to lay before one’s perception or cognizance; to set forth; to present a fine appearance., To pass over, esp. in a ceremonious manner; to give in charge or possession; to deliver; to make over., To make a gift of; to bestow; to give, generally in a formal or ceremonious manner; to grant; to confer., Hence: To endow; to bestow a gift upon; to favor, as with a donation; also, to court by gifts., To present; to personate., To nominate to an ecclesiastical benefice; to offer to the bishop or ordinary as a candidate for institution., To nominate for support at a public school or other institution ., To lay before a public body, or an official, for consideration, as before a legislature, a court of judicature, a corporation, etc.; as, to present a memorial, petition, remonstrance, or indictment., To lay before a court as an object of inquiry; to give notice officially of, as a crime of offence; to find or represent judicially; as, a grand jury present certain offenses or nuisances, or whatever they think to be public injuries., To bring an indictment against ., To aim, point, or direct, as a weapon; as, to present a pistol or the point of a sword to the breast of another., To appear at the mouth of the uterus so as to be perceptible to the finger in vaginal examination; — said of a part of an infant during labor., Anything presented or given; a gift; a donative; as, a Christmas present., The position of a soldier in presenting arms; as, to stand at present. |
| preshow | verb t. | To foreshow. |
| preside | verb i. | To be set, or to sit, in the place of authority; to occupy the place of president, chairman, moderator, director, etc.; to direct, control, and regulate, as chief officer; as, to preside at a public meeting; to preside over the senate., To exercise superintendence; to watch over. |
| pressed | imp. & past participle | of Press |
| presser | noun | One who, or that which, presses. |
| pressly | adverb | Closely; concisely. |
| pressor | adjective | Causing, or giving rise to, pressure or to an increase of pressure; as, pressor nerve fibers, stimulation of which excites the vasomotor center, thus causing a stronger contraction of the arteries and consequently an increase of the arterial blood pressure; — opposed to depressor. |
| prester | noun | A meteor or exhalation formerly supposed to be thrown from the clouds with such violence that by collision it is set on fire., One of the veins of the neck when swollen with anger or other excitement., A priest or presbyter; as, Prester John. |
| presume | verb t. | To assume or take beforehand; esp., to do or undertake without leave or authority previously obtained., To take or suppose to be true, or entitled to belief, without examination or proof, or on the strength of probability; to take for granted; to infer; to suppose., To suppose or assume something to be, or to be true, on grounds deemed valid, though not amounting to proof; to believe by anticipation; to infer; as, we may presume too far., To venture, go, or act, by an assumption of leave or authority not granted; to go beyond what is warranted by the circumstances of the case; to venture beyond license; to take liberties; — often with on or upon before the ground of confidence. |
| pretend | verb t. | To lay a claim to; to allege a title to; to claim., To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden., To hold out, or represent, falsely; to put forward, or offer, as true or real (something untrue or unreal); to show hypocritically, or for the purpose of deceiving; to simulate; to feign; as, to pretend friendship., To intend; to design; to plot; to attempt., To hold before one; to extend., To put in, or make, a claim, truly or falsely; to allege a title; to lay claim to, or strive after, something; — usually with to., To hold out the appearance of being, possessing, or performing; to profess; to make believe; to feign; to sham; as, to pretend to be asleep. |
| preter- | A prefix signifying past, by, beyond, more than; as, preter- mission, a permitting to go by; preternatural, beyond or more than is natural. | |
| pretext | noun | Ostensible reason or motive assigned or assumed as a color or cover for the real reason or motive; pretense; disguise. |
| pretzel | noun | A kind of German biscuit or cake in the form of a twisted ring, salted on the outside. |
| prevail | verb i. | To overcome; to gain the victory or superiority; to gain the advantage; to have the upper hand, or the mastery; to succeed; — sometimes with over or against., To be in force; to have effect, power, or influence; to be predominant; to have currency or prevalence; to obtain; as, the practice prevails this day., To persuade or induce; — with on, upon, or with; as, I prevailedon him to wait. |
| prevene | verb t. & i. | To come before; to anticipate; hence, to hinder; to prevent. |
| prevent | verb t. | To go before; to precede; hence, to go before as a guide; to direct., To be beforehand with; to anticipate., To intercept; to hinder; to frustrate; to stop; to thwart., To come before the usual time. |
| previse | verb t. | To foresee., To inform beforehand; to warn. |
| prewarn | verb t. & i. | To warn beforehand; to forewarn. |
| preying | present participle & vb. noun | of Prey |
| preyful | adjective | Disposed to take prey., Rich in prey. |