PREJUDICE ourable, without reason, or for some reason other than justice; a prepossession: when used absolutely generally with an unfavourable meaning; as, a man of many prejudices; we should clear our minds of preju dice. Prejudice may be considered as a continual false medium of viewing things. Butler. My comfort is that their manifest prejudice to my cause will render their judgment of less authority. Dryden. Though often misled by prejudice and passion he was emphatically an honest man. Macaulay. 2. Mischief; hurt; damage; injury. How plain this abuse is, and what prejudice it does to the understanding of the sacred Scriptures! Locke. -Without prejudice, in law, a term given to overtures and communications between litigants before action or after action, but before trial or verdict. The words import an understanding that should the negotiation fail nothing that has passed shall be taken advantage of thereafter. Thus, should the defendant offer, without prejudice, to pay half the claim, the plaintiff must not consider such offer as an admission of his having a right to some payment.-SYN. Prejudgment, prepossession, bias, harm, hurt, damage, detriment, mischief, disadvantage. Prejudice (pre'jū-dis), v.t. pret. & pp. prejudiced; ppr. prejudicing. 1. To implant a prejudice or prejudices in the mind of; to bias the mind of by hasty and incorrect notions and give an unreasonable bent; as, to prejudice a person against or in favour of another. Suffer not any beloved study to prejudice your mind so far as to despise all other learning. Watts. 2. To cause a prejudice against; to injure by prejudices; to hurt; to damage; to impair; to injure in general; as, the advocate who attempts to prove too much may prejudice his cause. Seek how we may prejudice the foe.' Shak. I am not to prejudice the cause of my fellow poets though I abandon my own defence. Dryden. Prejudicial (pre-jū-di'shal), a. 1. † Biassed or blinded by prejudices; prejudiced. 'To look upon the actions of princes with a prejudicial eye.' Holyday.-2. Hurtful; mischievous; injurious; disadvantageous; detrimental; as, intemperance is prejudi cial to health. "Think you 'twere prejudicial to his crown?' Shak. His going away the next morning with all his troops was most prejudicial to the king's affairs. Clarendon. Prejudicially (pre-jū-di'shal-li), adv. In a prejudicial manner; injuriously; disadvantageously. Prejudicialness (pre-jū-di ́shal-nes), n. The state of being prejudicial; injurious ness. 2. Episcopacy; the system of church government by prelates: formerly applied to the forms or practices of the High Church party. How many are there that call themselves protestants who put prelacy and popery together as terms convertible? Swift. 3. Prelates collectively. 'Divers of the reverend prelacy.' Hooker. Prelalt (pré'lal), a. [L. prelum, a press. ] Pertaining to printing; typographical. • Prelal faults.' Fuller. Prelate (prel'at), n. [Fr. prélat, from L.L. prælatus, an ecclesiastical dignitary, from L. prælatus, pp. of præfero, prælatum-præ, before, and fero, latum, to bear. ] An ecclesiastic of the higher order having authority over the lower clergy, as an archbishop, bishop, or patriarch; a dignitary of the church. Hear him but reason in divinity You would desire the king were made a prelate. Shak. Prelate t (prel'at), v.i. To act as a prelate; to prelatize. Prelateity + (prel-a-te'i-ti), n. Prelacy. Milton. Prelateship (prel'at-ship), n. The office of a prelate; a prelacy. Prelatess (prel'at-es), n. A female prelate; the wife of a prelate. Milton. 'I cannot tell you how dreadfully indecent her conduct was.' 'Was it?' said the countess. 'Insufferable,' said the prelatess. Trollope. 515 Prelatic, Prelatical (pre-lat'ik, pre-lat'ikal), a. Pertaining to prelates or prelacy; as, prelatical authority. The popish or prelatical courts.' Milton. Prelatically (pre-lat ́ik-al-li), adv. In a prelatical manner; with reference to prelates. Milton. Prelation † (pre-la'shon), n. [L. prælatio, from præfero, prælatum, to prefer.] Preference; the setting of one above another. "The affection and prelation of their parents.' Bp. Pearson. Prelatism (prel'at-izm), n. Prelacy; episco pacy. The councils themselves were foully corrupted with ungodly prelatism. Milton. Prelatist (prel'at-ist), n. [From prelate.] An advocate for prelacy or the government of the church by bishops; a High Church man. He granted an unbounded liberty of conscience to all but catholics and prelatists. Hume. Prelatizet (prelʼat-iz), v.i. pret. & pp. prelatized; ppr. prelatizing. 1. To perform the duties of a prelate.-2. To uphold or encourage prelacy; to encourage High Church practices. Milton. He (Cyprian) indeed succeeded into an episcopacy that began then to prelatize. Prelatize (prel'at-iz), v.t. To bring under the influence of prelacy. Prelatizing the church of Scotland.' Palfrey. Prelatry + (prel'at-ri), n. Prelacy. Milton. Prelature (prel'at-ür), n. [Fr. prélature.] The state or dignity of a prelate. Milman. Prelaty (prel'a-ti), n. Episcopacy; prelacy. The advancement of prelacy.' Milton. Prelect (pre-lekt'), v.i. pret. & pp. prelected; ppr. prelecting. [L. prælego, prælectus-pra, before, and lego, to read.] To read a lecture or discourse in public. Spitting was shown to be a very difficult act, and publicly prelected upon about the same time, in the same great capital. De Quincey. Prelect (pre-lekt), v. t. To read publicly as a lecture. Horsley. Prelection (pre-lek'shon), n. [L. prælectio, prælectionis, a reading to others.] A lecture or discourse read in public or to a select company, as to a class of students. 'The prelections of Faber.' Sir M. Hale. Prelector (prē-lek'tor), n. [L. prælector. See above.] A reader of discourses; a lecturer. Sheldon. Prelibation (pre-li-bā'shon), n. [From L. prælibo-pra, before, and libo, to taste.] 1. Foretaste; a tasting beforehand or by anticipation; as, a prelibation of heavenly bliss. Rich prelibation of consummate joy.' Young.-2. An effusion or libation previous to tasting. Preliminarily (pre-lim'in-a-ri-li), adv. In Preliminary (pre-lim'in-a-ri), a. [Fr. a preliminary manner; antecedently. préliminaire-L. præe, before, and limen, threshold or limit.] Introductory; preceding the main discourse or business; prefatory; as, preliminary observations to a discourse or book; preliminary articles_to a treaty; preliminary measures.-SYN. Introductory, preparatory, proemial, previous, prior, precedent. Some Preliminary (pre-lim'in-a-ri), n. thing introductory, previous, or preparatory; something to be examined and determined before an affair can be treated of on its own merits; a preparatory act; as, the preliminaries to a negotiation or treaty; the preliminaries to a combat.-SYN. Introduction, preface, prelude. Prelimit (pre-lim'it), v.t. To limit beforehand. [Rare.] Prelookt (pre-lök'), v.i. To take a look beforehand; to look forward. Surrey. Prelude (prĕ'lūd or prel'ūd), n. [Fr. prélude, from L. pra, before, and ludus, play.1 1. Something introductory, or that shows what is to follow; something preparatory or leading up to what follows; an introductory performance. A costly kiss, the prelude to some brighter world.' Tennyson. The last Georgic was a good prelude to the Eneis. Addison. The cause is more than the prelude, the effect is Whewell. more than the sequel, of the fact. 2. In music, a short introductory strain preceding the principal movement, performed on the same key as it, and intended to prepare the ear for the piece that is to follow. SYN. Preface, introduction, preliminary, forerunner, harbinger. Prelude (pre-lūd'), v.t. pret. & pp. preluded; ppr. preluding. 1. To play a prelude to; to introduce with a prelude; to serve as pre Tennyson. Prelude (prē-lūd'"), v.i. To serve as a prelude or introduction; to play a prelude or introduction; to act or play in such a manner as to prepare for some main business to follow. 'We are preluding too largely.' Jeffrey. In ascending from the limestone, the coal, before we quit the subjacent stratum, preludes to its fuller exhibition in the superior beds. Whewell. Preluder (prē-lūd'ér), n. One who preludes; one who plays a prelude. Preludial (pre-lú'di-al), a. Pertaining to a prelude; serving to introduce; introductory. Edin. Rev. Preludious (pre-lu'di-us), a. Of the nature of a prelude; introductory. Cleaveland. Preludium (pre-lu'di-um), n. [L.L.] A prelude. "The rough preludium of the war.' Dryden. Prelumbar (pre-lum'bär), a. [L. præ, before, and lumbus, a loin.] In anat. placed before the loins. Prelusive (pre-lu'siv), a. Having the character of a prelude; introductory; indicating that something of a like kind is to follow. Prelusive drops (of rain).' Thom son. Prelusively, Prelusorily (pre-lü'siv-li, pre-lu'so-ri-li), adv. By way of introduction or prelude; prefatorily; previously. Prelusory (pre-lu'so-ri), a. Introductory; prelusive. The prelusory, lighter brandishings of these swords.' Hammond. Premature (prē'ma-tür), a. [L. præmaturus, mature or ripe too early-præ, before, and maturus, ripe.] Happening, arriving, existing, performed or adopted before the proper time; done, said, or believed too soon; too early; untimely; as, a premature fall of snow in autumn; a premature birth; a premature report of his being dead was spread. In all our philosophical inquiries (to whatever subject they may relate) the progress of the mind is liable to be affected by the same tendency to a premature generalization. D. Stewart. Prematurely (pre-ma-túrʼli), adv. In a premature manner; too soon; too early; before the proper time; over hastily; as, fruits prematurely ripened; opinions prematurely formed; measures prematurely taken; a report prematurely spread abroad. Prematureness, Prematurity (pre-matür'nes, pre-ma-tūr'i-ti), n. The state of being premature or before the proper time; precocity. "The vigorous prematurity of Chatterton's understanding." T. Warton. Premaxillary (pre-maks'il-la-ri), n. [L. præ, before, and maxilla, a jaw-bone.] In anat. a bone of the upper jaw on either side, forming its margin, anterior to the true maxillary bone. Premediate (prē-mē’di-āt), v.t. To advocate, as a cause. [Rare.] Premeditate (pre-med'i-tāt), v. t. pret. & pp. premeditated; ppr. premeditating. [Fr. préméditer, It. premeditare, L. præmeditorpræ, before, and meditor, to meditate.] To think on and revolve in the mind beforehand; to contrive and design previously; as, to premeditate theft or robbery. The guilt of premeditated and contrived murder.' Shak. With words premeditated thus he said.' Dryden. Premeditate (pre-med'i-tāt), v.i. To consider or revolve in the mind beforehand; to deliberate; to have formed in the mind by previous thought or meditation. They were rude, and knew not so much as how to premeditate. Hooker. Premeditate (pre-med'i-tāt), a. Contrived by previous meditation; premeditated. He said to me he never improved his interest at court to do a premeditate mischief to other persons. Bp. Burnet. Premeditately (pre-med'i-tat-li), adv. With previous meditation. 'Premeditately avoided.' Burke. Premeditation (pre-med'i-tā-shon), n. [L. præmeditatio. See PREMEDITATE.] 1. The act of premeditating or meditating beforehand; previous deliberation; forethought. Verse is not the effect of sudden thought; but this PRE-MERIDIAN Imme hinders not that sudden thought may be represented in verse, since those thoughts must be higher than nature can raise without premeditation. Dryden. 2. Previous contrivance or design formed; as, the premeditation of a crime. Pre-meridian (pre-me-rid'i-an), a. diately before mid-day; specifically, in geol. applied to the seventh of the fifteen series into which the paleozoic strata of the Appalachian chain have been subdivided by Professor Rogers. It corresponds to our upper Silurian. Premerit (pre-me'rit), v.t. To merit or deserve beforehand. They did not forgive Sir John Hotham, who had so much premerited of them. Eikon Basilike. Premices (prē'mi-sēz), n. [Fr. prémices, from L. primitia, first-fruits, from primus, first.] First-fruits. A charger, yearly filled with fruits, was offered to the gods at their festivals as the premices or first gatherings. Dryden. Premier (pre'mi-ér), a. [Fr., from L. primarius, of the first rank, from primus, first.] 1. First; chief; principal; as, the premier place in one's estimation. 'Premier ministers of state.' Swift. The Spaniard challengeth the premier place, in regard of his dominions." Camden. 2. Most ancient, as applied to a peer of any degree of creation. Premier (pre'mi-er), n. The first or chief minister of state; the prime or premier minister. Premiership (prē'mi-ér-ship), n. The office or dignity of the first minister of state. Premillennial (pre-mil-len'i-al),a. Previous to the millennium. Premise (pre-miz'), v. t. pret. & pp. premised; ppr. premising. [L. præmitto, præmissum -præ, before, and mitto, to send.] 1. To set forth or make known beforehand, as introductory to the main subject; to offer previously, as something to explain or aid in understanding what follows; to lay down as an antecedent proposition. We must premise this as a certain and fundamental proof. South, I premise these particulars that the reader may know that I enter upon it as a very ungrateful task. Addison. 2. To send before the time. O let the vile world end, Shak. Premise (pre-mīz'), v. i. pret. & pp. premised; ppr. premising. To state antecedent propositions. 'I must premise with three circumstances.' Swift. Premise (prem'is), n. [Fr. prémisse, a premise, one of the two first propositions of a syllogism; L. præmissum, what is sent or put before-præ, before, and mitto, to send.] 1. A proposition laid down as a base of argument; specifically, in logic, the name applied to each of 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. The first premise is called the major premise, the second the minor premise. See SYLLOGISM. While the premises stand firm, it is impossible to Dr. H. More. shake the conclusion. Premitt (pre-mit'), v. t. [See PREMISE.] To premise. Premium (prē'mi-um), n. [L. præmium, a reward, a recompense-præ, before, and emo, to take. See PRE-EMPTION.] 1. Properly, a reward or recompense; specifically, (a) a prize to be won by competition; a reward or prize offered for some specific thing. (b) A bonus; an extra sum paid as an incentive. (c) A bounty. The law that obliges parishes to support the poor offers a premium for the encouragement of idleness. Franklin. (d) A fee paid for the privilege of being 516 taught a trade or profession. 'The lawyer articles a young man to himself without a premium. Dickens.-2. Something offered or given for the loan of money, usually a sum beyond the interest. Men never fail to bring in their money upon a land tax, when the premium or interest allowed them is suited to the hazard they run. Addison. 3. A sum paid periodically to an office for insurance, as against fire or loss of life or property. See INSURANCE.-4. In stockbroking, the value above the original cost or price, as of shares or stock, as opposed to discount, which is the value below the original cost.-5. Used adjectively, in the sense of prize-taking. A premium tulip of a very different growth." Dickens. Premna (prem'na), n. [Gr. premnon, the stump of a tree. ] A genus of plants belonging to the nat. order Verbenaceæ. The species consist of shrubs and small trees, natives of Asia and Australia, and the majority of them are remarkable for the fetid odour of their leaves. The leaves of P. integrifolia applied to the head are said to cure headache. P. latifolia has a wood of a white colour and firm texture, employed for various economical purposes. Premolar (pre-mō'lèr), n. In anat. a tooth between the canine and the molars. Premonish (pre-mon'ish), v.t. [Prefix pre, and monish, as in admonish (which see).] To forewarn; to admonish beforehand. Herrick. Premonishment (pre-mon'ish-ment), n. The act of premonishing; previous warning or admonition; previous information. [Rare.] After these premonishments, I will come to the compartition itself. Wotton. Premonition (pre-mo-ni'shon), n. Previous warning, notice, or information; as, a supernatural premonition of one's death. Those frequent predictions or premonitions of our Saviour.' Prynne. It is no small mercie of God that he gives us warning of our end; we shall make an ill use of so gracious a premonition if we make not a meet preparation for our passage. Bp. Hall. Premonitive (prē-mon'i-tiv), a. Premonitory. Premonitor (pre-mon'i-tér), n. One who or that which gives premonition or previous warning. Bp. Hall. Premonitorily (pre-mon'i-to-ri-li), adv. By way of premonition. Premonitory (pre-mon'i-to-ri), a. Giving previous warning or notice; as, premonitory symptoms. Dunglison. Premonstrant (pre-mon'strant), n. [Fr. prémontré, premonstrant, from Prémontré, near Laon, where they had their principal abbey. Prémontré is pré montré, O. Fr. pré, monstré L. pratum monstratum, indicated meadow, that is, pointed out in a dream to the founder.] One of a religious order of regular canons or monks of Prémontré, near Laon, instituted by St. Norbert in 1120, whence they are sometimes termed Norbertines. canons. They are called also white Before the Reformation they had 2000 monasteries, among which were 500 nunneries. The order now consists of a few houses in Poland and the Austrian States, especially in Bohemia. Called also Premonstratensian. Premonstratet (pre-mon'strāt), v. t. [L. præmonstro-præ, before, and monstro, to show.] To foreshow; to show beforehand. Sir J. Harington. Premonstratensian (prē-mon'stra-ten"shian), n. Same as Premonstrant. Premonstratensian (pre-mon'stra-ten"shian), a. Of or relating to the Premonstrants; as, the premonstratensian order. Premonstration † (pre-mon-strā'shon), n. The act of premonstrating; a showing beforehand. Shelford. Premonstratort (pre-mon'strāt-ér), n. One who or that which premonstrates, or shows beforehand. Premorse (pre-mors), a. [L. præmordeo, præmorsus-pra, before, and mordeo, to gnaw.] Bitten off: applied in bot, to a root or leaf terminating abruptly, as if bitten off. Premosaic (pre-mo-za'ik), a. Relating to the time before that of Moses; as, premosaic times. Premotion (prē-mō'shon), n. tion or excitement to action. Premunire (prē-mū-nī'rē), n. munire. Premunite (prē-mū-nīt'), v.t. [See below.] To guard against objection; to fortify. Previous mo Same as Pra PREOMINATE Thought good to premunite the succeeding treatise with this preface.' Fotherby. Premunition (prē-mu-ni'shon), n. [L. præmunitio, from præmunio, to defend in front or beforehand.] An anticipation of objec tions. Todd. Premunitory (prē-mu'ni-to-ri), a. Of or relating to a præmunire. Prenanthes (pre-nan'thēz), n. [Gr. prēnēs, drooping, and anthos, a flower.] A genus of plants, nat. order Compositæ. The species are chiefly perennials, natives of Europe and North America. They are tall smooth herbs, with alternate lyrate or pinnatifid leaves, and large lax, often drooping heads of yellow, violet, or white flowers. P. muralis, or ivy-leaved wall lettuce, is a British plant, with bright yellow flowers, growing on old walls and rocks. Prender (pren'dér), n. [Fr. prendre, to take.] In law, the power or right of taking a thing before it is offered. Prenomen (prē-nō'men), n. Same as Pro nomen. Prenominal (pre-nom'i-nal), a. Serving as first element in a compound name. Sir T. Browne. Prenominate (pre-nom'i-nāt), v.t. To nominate or name previously or beforehand; to forename. Shak. Prenominate (pre-nom'i-nāt), a. Forenamed. 'Prenominate crimes." Prenomination (pre-nom'i-nā"shon), n. The privilege of naming or being named first. Sir T. Browne. Prenostic + (pre-nos'tik), n. [L. præ, before, and noscere, to know.] A prognostic. Gower. Prenote (pré-not), v.t. To note or designate previously or beforehand. Foxe. Prenotion (pre-nō'shon), n. A notice or notion which precedes something else in time; previous notion or thought; foreknowledge. 'Had some prenotion or anticipation of them.' Bp. Berkeley. Prensationt (pren-sa'shon), n. [L. prensatio, from prenso, to seize.] The act of seizing with violence. Barrow. Prent (prent), v. t. To print. [Scotch.] Prent (prent), n. Print. [Scotch.] Prent-buke (prent'būk), n. A printed book. 'She can speak like a prent-buke.' Sir W. Scott. [Scotch.] Prentice (pren'tis). A colloquial contraction of Apprentice (which see). Shak. Prenticeship (pren'tis-ship). A contraction of Apprenticeship (which see). 'He served a prenticeship.' Pope. Prentishode,t n. Apprenticeship. Chaucer. Prenunciationt (pre-nun'shi-a"shon), n. [L. prænuncio-pro, before, and nuncio, to tell.] The act of telling before. Bailey. Prenuncious+ (pre-nun'shus), a. Announcing beforehand; presaging. "Blount. Preoblige (pré-o-blij'), v.t. To oblige previously or beforehand." Tillotson. Preobtain (prẻ-ob-tān'), v.t. beforehand. Smart. Preoccupancy (pré-ok'kū-pan-si), n. 1. The act of taking possession before another; preoccupation; as, the preoccupancy of unoccu pied land.-2. The right of taking possession before others; as, to have the preoccupancy of land by right of discovery. Preoccupant (prē-ok'kū-pant), n. One who preoccupies. To obtain Preoccupate (prē-ok'kū-pāt), v.t. pret. & pp. preoccupated; ppr. preoccupating. [L. præoccupo-pra, before, and occupo, to seize.] Same as Preoccupy. Preoccupation (pre-ok kū-pā"shon), n. 1. An occupation or taking possession before another; prior occupation; prepossession.-2. Anticipation of objections. South. Preoccupy (prē-ok’kū-pi), v. t. [L. præoccupo, to seize beforehand-pra, before, and occupo, to seize. See OCCUPY.] 1. To take possession of before another; as, to preoccupy a country or land not before occupied.2. To engage or occupy the attention of beforehand; to engross beforehand; to preengage; to prepossess. Your minds preoccupied with what you rather must do than what you should.' Shak I think it more respectful to the reader to leave something to reflections than to preoccupy his judgArbuthnot. ment. One of the greatest of these advantages is, that it (this world) preoccupies the mind; it gets the first hold and the first possession. Paley Preominate (prē-om'i-nāt), v.t. [L. præ. before, and ominor, to prognosticate.] To prognosticate; to serve as an omen of; to portend. Because many ravens were seen when Alexander Preopercular (prē-ō-pèr'ku-lėr), a. In zool. belonging to or situated in the operculum. Preoperculum (prē-ō-pėr'kü-lum), n. 1. In bot. the fore-lid or operculum in mosses.— 2. A part of the gill-cover of a fish. See OPERCULUM. Preopinion (prē-o-pin' yun), n. Opinion previously formed; prepossession. Diet holds no solid rule of selection; some in indistinct voracity eating almost any; others, out of a timorous preopinion, refraining from many things. Sir T. Browne. Preoption (pre-op'shon), n. The right of first choice. Preoral (pre'ō-ral), a. [L. præ, before, and os, oris, the mouth.] In front of the mouth. Preordain (prē-or-dān'), v. t. To ordain or appoint beforehand; to predetermine. If all things be preordained by God, and so demonstrated to be willed by him, it remains there is no such thing as sin. Hammond, Preorder (pre-order), v.t. To order or arrange beforehand; to prearrange; to foreordain. The free acts of an indifferent, are, morally and rationally, as worthless as the preordered passion of a determined will. Sir W. Hamilton. Paid in In anat. Prepaid (pre-pād'), p. and a. advance, as postage of letters. Prepalatal (pre-pal'at-al), a. immediately in front of the palate; as, the prepalatal aperture. Preparable (prē-pār'a-bl), a. [See PREPARE.] Capable of being prepared. Preparancet (pre-pār'ans), n. Preparation. All this busy preparance to warre.' Sir T. More. Preparat, pp. Prepared. Chaucer. Preparation (pre-pa-ra'shon), n. [L. præparatio. See PREPARE.] 1. The act 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. 2. A previous measure of adaptation. I will show what preparations there were in nature for this dissolution." T. Burnet. 3. Ceremonious introduction; ceremony. I make bold to press, with so little preparation, upon you. You're welcome. Shak. 4. That which is prepared, made, or compounded for a particular purpose; especially, a medical substance fitted for the use of a patient. I wish the chymists had been more sparing who magnify their preparations. Sir T. Browne. 5. The state of being prepared or in readiness; as, a nation in good preparation for attack or defence.-6.† A force ready for combat, as an army or fleet. The Turkish preparation makes for Rhodes. Shak. 7.† Accomplishment; qualification. 'Your many warlike, courtlike, and learned preparations.' Shak.-8. In anat. a part of an animal body prepared and preserved for anatomical uses.-9. In music, the disposition of dissonances in harmony in such a manner that by the gradual progression of the parts they are rendered less harsh to the ear than they would be without such preparation. Preparative (pre-par'at-iv), a. [Fr. préparatif.] Tending or serving to prepare or make ready; preparatory. Would men have spent toilsome days and watchful nights in the laborious quest of knowledge preparative to this work. South. Preparative (pre-par'at-iv), n. 1. That which is preparative or preparatory; what prepares or paves the way. Resolvedness in sin can with no reason be imagined a preparative to remission. Dr. H. More. 2. That which is done to prepare; preparation. What avails it to make all the necessary prepara. tives for our voyage if we do not actually begin the journey. Dryden. Preparatively (pre-par'at-iv-li), adv. In a preparative manner; by way of preparation. Sir M. Hale. Preparator (pre-par'a-tér), n. One who prepares subjects beforehand, as anatomical specimens, subjects of dissection, &c. Agassiz. 517 Preparatory (pre-par'a-to-ri), a. Preparing the way for anything; serving to prepare the way for some proceeding to follow; antecedent and making provision; introductory; preparative; as, to adopt preparatory mea sures. Rains were but preparatory; the violence of the deluge depended upon the disruption of the great abyss. T. Burnet. Prepare (prē-pār^), v. t. pret. & pp. prepared; ppr. preparing. [Fr. préparer; L. præparo, præparatum præ, before, and paro, to set or place in order, to get ready.] 1. To fit, adapt, or qualify for a particular purpose, end, use, service, or state by any means whatever; to put into such a state as to be fit for use or application; to make ready; as, to prepare ground for seed by tillage; to prepare cloth for use by dressing; to prepare young men for college by previous instruction. Our souls not yet prepared for upper light Till doomsday wander in the shade of night. Dryden. Often, with a personal object, to make to expect something; to make ready for something that is to happen; to give notice to; as, to prepare a person for ill news or calamity. Go you to Juliet ere you go to bed, Prepare her, wife, against this wedding day. Shak. 2. To get ready; to provide; to procure as suitable; as, to prepare arms, ammunition, and provisions for troops. "Have prepared great store of wedding cheer.' Shak. 'To prepare fit entertainment to receive our king.' Milton. And it came to pass after this that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 2 Sam. xv. I. SYN. To fit, adjust, adapt, qualify, equip, provide, procure, form, make. Prepare (prē-pār'), v.i. 1. To make all things ready; to put things in suitable order. 'Bid them prepare for dinner.' Shak.-2. To take the necessary previous measures. 'Dido preparing to kill herself.' Peacham.-3. To make one's self ready; to hold one's self in readiness. Amos iv. 12. Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. Preparet (pre-pār'), n. Preparation. Go levy men, and make prepare for war. Shak. Preparedly (pre-pārd'li), adv. With suitable previous measures. Shak. Preparedness (prē-pārd'nes), n. The state of being prepared or in readiness. Preparer (pré-pār'ėr), n. One who or that which prepares, fits, or makes ready. The bishop of Ely, the fittest preparer of her mind to receive such a doleful accident, came to visit her. Wotton. Prepay (pre-pā'), v.t. pret. & pp. prepaid; ppr. prepaying. To pay before obtaining possession of the article purchased; to pay in advance; to pay before the payment falls due; as, to prepay calls upon bank or railway Prepayment (pre-pa'ment), n. shares, &c.; to prepay letters sent by post. Act of pay ing beforehand; payment in advance, as of postage. Prepense (prē-pens'), a. [L. prœpensus— præ, before, and pendo, pensum, to weigh, lit. weighed before. See POISE.] Deliberated or devised beforehand; premeditated; aforethought: usually placed after the word it qualifies, and now scarcely used except in the phrase 'malice prepense.' Malice prepense is necessary to constitute murder. Blackstone. Prepenset (pre-pens'), v.t. To weigh or consider beforehand. Sir T. Elyot. Prepenset (pre-pens'), v.i. To deliberate beforehand. Spenser. Prepensely (pre-pens'li), adv. In a prepense manner. Prepollence, Prepollency (pre-pol' lens, pre-pollen-si), n. [L. præpollens, præpolleo, to be very powerful or strong-præ, before, and polleo, to be able.] Prevalence; superiority of power. The prepollency of good over evil. Paley. Prepollent (pre-pollent), a. [See above.] Having superior gravity or power; prevailing; predominating. The ends of self-preservation or of prepollent utility.' Bp. Hurd. Prepondert (pre-pon'der), v.t. [See PREPONDERATE.] To outweigh. Unless apparencies preponder truths.' Wotton. Preponderance (pre-pon'dėr-ans), n. [See PREPONDERATE.] 1. The state or quality of preponderating or being preponderant; an outweighing; superiority of weight.-2. Superiority of power, force, or weight, in a figurative sense; as, a preponderance of evidence. PREPOSSESS Preponderancy (pre-pon'dér-an-si), n. Same as Preponderance. A preponderancy of those circumstances which have a tendency to move the inclination.' Edwards. Preponderant (pré-pon'dêr-ant), a. Outweighing. The preponderant scale must determine.' Reid. Preponderantly (pre-pon'dér-ant-li), adv. In a preponderant manner; so as to preponderate or outweigh; in the greater degree; chiefly. Preponderate (pre-pon'dêr-āt), v.t. pret. & pp. preponderated; ppr. preponderating. [L. præpondero, præponderatum præ, before, and pondero, to weigh, from pondus, ponderis, a weight, from pendo, to cause to hang down, to suspend. See POISE.] 1. To outweigh; to overpower by weight; to have more weight or influence than. An inconsiderable weight, by distance from the centre of the balance, will preponderate greater magnitudes. Glanville. 2. To cause to prefer; to decide. The desire to spare Christian blood preponderates him for peace. Fuller. 3. To ponder or consider previously. Shaftesbury. Preponderate (pre-pon'dêr-āt), v.i. pret. preponderated; ppr. preponderating. 1. To exceed in weight; hence, to incline or descend, as the scale of a balance. That is no just balance wherein the heaviest side will not preponderate. Bp. Wilkins. 2. To exceed in influence or power; to have the greater weight or influence; to outweigh others; as, self-interest is apt to preponderate in our deliberations. The party which preponderated in the House of Commons.' Macaulay. Preponderatingly (prē-pon'dėr-at-ing-li), adv. Preponderantly. Preponderation (prē-pon'dėr-ā”shon), n. 1. The act or state of preponderating or outweighing anything, or of inclining to one side; preponderance. In matters which require present practice, we must content ourselves with a mere preponderation of Watts. probable reasons. 2. The act of mentally weighing or considering beforehand. Prepose (prē-pōz'), v.t. pret. & pp. preposed; ppr. preposing. [Prefix pre, and pose; Fr. préposer.] To put before. Preposition (pre-pō-zi'shon), n. [L. præpositio, from præpono-præ, before, and pono, to place. See POSITION.] 1. In gram, a part of speech which is used to show the relation of one noun or pronoun to another in a sentence, and which derives its name from being usually placed before the word which expresses the object of the relation; as, medicines salutary to health; music agreeable to the ear; virtue is valued for its excellence; a man is riding to Oxford from London; he was struck with a whip. They are, however, in many cases placed after the word governed; as, which person do you speak to? what are you thinking about?Inseparable prepositions, certain particles never found singly, or uncompounded, as in English be-, for-, fore-, mis-, &c., which occur in such words as be-stir, for-sake, foresee, mis-take, &c.-2.† Proposition; exposition; discourse. The bishop of Langers, because he was a prelate, began to speak and make his preposition well and sagely. Ld. Berners. PerPrepositional (pre-pō-zi'shon-al), a. taining to or having the nature or function of a preposition; as, the prepositional usage of a word. Put before; Prepositionally (pre-pō-zi'shon-al-li), a. In But there before her was 2. To preoccupy the mind or heart of; to fill or imbue beforehand with some opinion or estimate; to prejudice; as, his appear PREPOSSESSING ance and manners strongly prepossessed them in his favour. Prepossess is more frequently used in a good sense than prejudice, and the participial adjective prepossessing has always a good sense. It is manifest that such a doctrine was irreconcil able with the interests of any party out of power, whose best hope to regain it is commonly by prepossessing the nation with a bad opinion of their adversaries. Hallam. Prepossessing (pré-poz-zes'ing), a. Tending to invite favour before there is any rational ground for it; having the power of creating an impression favourable to the owner; engaging: said especially of the external characteristics of a person; as, a prepossessing face or manner. Prepossession (pre-poz-zesh'on), n. 1. Preoccupation; prior possession. Hammond. 2. Preconceived opinion; the effect of previous impressions on the mind or heart, in favour 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. 'Captivated to these deceiving prepossessions.' Glanville. "The prepossessions of childhood and youth.' D. Stewart. I am delighted to think, Walter, that you seem entirely to have overcome the unfavourable prepossession which at first you testified towards our excellent neighbour. Lord Lytton. SYN. Preoccupancy, preoccupation, prejudgment, bias, bent. Prepossessor (pré-poz-zes'èr), n. One that prepossesses; one that possesses before another. They signify only a bare prepossessor, one that possessed the land before the present possessor. Brady. Preposterous (pre-pos'ter-us), a. [L. præposterus-pra, before, and posterus, coming after. See POSTERIOR.] 1.f Lit. having that first which ought to be last; inverted in order. The method I take may be censured as prepos terous, because I treat last of the antediluvian earth, which was first in the order of nature. Woodward. 2. Contrary to nature, reason, or common sense; utterly and glaringly foolish; totally opposed to the fitness of things; manifestly 'Most preposterous conclusions.' Shak. 'Is not such a preposterous government against the first order of nature, for women to rule over men?' Bacon. absurd. What's more preposterous than to see A merry beggar? mirth in misery? Dryden. The head-dresses of the ladies, during my youth, were of preposterous size. Rogers. 3. Foolish; absurd: applied to persons. Preposterous ass! that never read so far To know the cause why music was ordain'd! Shak SYN. Perverted, wrong, irrational, foolish, monstrous, absurd. Preposterously (pre-pos'tėr-us-li), adv. 1. In a preposterous manner; the wrong or inverted order; absurdly; foolishly.-2. † With the hind part foremost; bottom upwards. He groaned, tumbled to the earth, and stayed A mighty while preposterously. Chapman. Preposterousness (pre-pos'tér-us-nes), n. The state or quality of being preposterous; wrong order or method; absurdity; inconsistency with nature or reason. Prepotency (pre-pō'ten-si), n. [L. præpotentia-pra, before, and potentia, power.] The state or quality of being prepotent; superior power; predominance. Prepotent (pre-pō'tent), a. [L. præpotens-pra, before, and potens, powerful.] 1. Very powerful; having a superiority of power. No dragon does there need for thee Southey. 2. Possessing superior influence; prevailing. A plant's own pollen is almost always prepotent over foreign pollen. Darwin. 3. Highly endued with potentiality or potential power. It is by the operation of an insoluble mystery that life is evolved, species differentiated, and mind unfolded from their prepotent elements in the immeasurable past. Tyndall. Prepuce (pre'pūs), n. [Fr., from L. præputium, the foreskin.] A prolongation of the skin of the penis, covering the glans; the foreskin. Prepunctuality (pre'pungk-tu-al"i-ti), n. More than punctuality, as the habit of keeping an appointment or other engagement somewhat before the time; excessive punctuality. 518 Macmillan, speaking of Charles Dickens's more than punctuality, he has happily described the qua lity by so characteristic a term prepunctuality, that the word must henceforth assume a recognized place in our language. Notes and Queries. Preputial (pre-pu'shal), a. Pertaining to the prepuce or foreskin. Bp. Corbet. Pre-Raphaelism (pre-raf'a-el-izm), n. Same as Pre-Raphaelitism. Pre-Raphaelite (pre-raf'a-el-it), a. Pertaining to or characteristic of pre-Raphaelitism (which see); as, pre-Raphaelite theories; the pre-Raphaelite school. Pre-Raphaelite (pre-raf'a-el-it), n. One who practises or favours the style of art before the time of Raphael; one who adopts preRaphaelitism (which see). Pre-Raphaelitism (pré-raf'a-el-it-izm), n. The system or style of painting practised by the early painters before the time of Raphael; the modern revival of their style or system. The essential characteristic of the style is a rigid adherence to natural form and effect, and the consequent rejection of all efforts to elevate, beautify, or heighten the effect in any way by ideal modifications either in drawing, arrangement, or colouring, based on conventional rules derived from the works of the great masters of the several schools. See extract. Pre-Raphaelitism has but one principle, that of uncompromising truth in all that it does, obtained by working everything, down to the most minute detail, from nature and from nature only. Or, where imagination is necessarily trusted to, by always endeavouring to conceive a fact as it really was likely to have happened, rather than as it most prettily might have happened. Every pre-Raphaelite landscape background is painted to the last touch, in the open air, from the thing itself. Every pre-Raphaelite figure, however studied in expression, is a true portrait of some living person. Every minute accessory is painted in the same manner. This is the main pre-Raphaelite principle. Ruskin. Preremote (pre-re-mot'), a. More remote in previous time or prior order. Dr. E. Dar win. Prerequire (prē-rē-kwīr'), v.t. pret. & pp. prerequired; ppr. prerequiring. To require previously. Hammond. Prerequisite (pre-rek'wi-zit), a. Previously required; necessary to something subsequent. Sir T. Browne. Prerequisite (pre-rek'wi-zit), n. Something that is previously required or necessary to an end proposed. Class is a notion, itself the result of an induction, it cannot therefore be postulated as a prerequisite or element of that process itself. Sir W. Hamilton. Preresolve (pré-ré-zolv'), v.t. pret. & pp. preresolved; ppr. preresolving. To resolve previously. Sir E. Dering. Prerogative (pre-rog'a-tiv), n. [L. prærogativa, called upon to vote first, having the first vote, precedence in voting, privilege, prerogative, from prærogo, to ask beforepræ, before, and rogo, to ask. 1. An exclusive or peculiar privilege; a privilege belonging to one in virtue of his character or position; an indefeasible right; in a narrower sense, an official and hereditary right which may be asserted without question, and for the exercise of which there is no responsibility or accountability as to the fact and manner of its exercise; as, the prerogative of a father to exact obedience from his children; it is the prerogative of the House of Commons to determine on the validity of the election of its own members. The prerogatives which God gave unto Peter... help the bishop of Rome's cause nothing at all. Bp. Gardner. My fortunes having cast me on your niece, give me this prerogative of speech. Shak. 2. Pre-eminence; precedence. Then give me leave to have prerogative. Shak.-The royal prerogative is that special pre-eminence which a sovereign has over all other persons, and out of the course of the common law, in right of the regal dignity. In Britain the royal prerogative includes the right of making war and concluding peace, of sending and receiving ambassadors, of making treaties, &c. - Prerogative court, in Great Britain, an ecclesiastical court formerly existing for the trial of testamentary causes, where the deceased had left effects in two different dioceses. This jurisdiction was taken away from the ecclesiastics and transferred to a new court, called the probate court, by 20 and 21 Vict. Ixxvii.-Prerogative writ, in law, a process issued upon extraordinary occasions on proper cause shown. They are the writs of procedendo, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto, habeas corpus, certiorari. Prerogatived (pre-rogʻa-tivd), a. Having prerogative. Shak. In Mr. Arthur Helps'' In Memoriam' in this month's PRESBYTERIAN By Prerogatively (pre-rogʻa-tiv-li), adv. Presage (pre'saj or pres'āj), n. [Fr. pré- Dreams have generally been considered... as presages of what is to happen. Addison. 2. A foreboding or presentiment; a feeling that something is to happen; a prophecy or prediction; power of seeing into the future; foreknowledge. 'And the sad augurs mock 'If heart's pre their own presage.' Shak. sages be not vain.' Shak. Milton. If there be aught of presage in the mind, This day will be remarkable in my life. SYN. Prognostic, omen, token, sign. Presage (pre-saj'), v.t. pret. & pp. presaged; ppr. presaging. 1. To forebode; to foreshow; to indicate by some present fact what is to follow or come to pass. If I may trust the flattering truth of sleep, My dreams presage some joyful news at hand. Shak 2. To foretell; to predict; to prophesy. Wish'd freedom I presage you soon will find. Dryden. 3. To point out, as a road or path. Spenser. Presage (pre-saj), v.i. pret. & pp. presaged; ppr. presaging. To form or utter a prediction: sometimes with of. That by certain signs we may presage Of heats and rains, and wind's impetuous rage. Dryden. Presageful (prē-sāj'ful), a. Full of presages; containing presages; ominous. 'Sad presageful thought.' Savage. 'Dark in the glass of some presageful mood.' Tennyson. Presagement (pre-saj'ment), n. 1. A foreboding; foretoken. The falling of salt is an authentic presagement of ill luck, from whence notwithstanding nothing can be naturally feared. Sir T. Browne. 2. A foretelling; prediction. Presager (prē-sāj'ėr), n. One who or that which presages or foretells; a foreteller; a foreshower. Shak. Presartorial (prē-sar-tō'ri-al), a. [L. præ, before, and sartor, a tailor.] Before the age of tailoring; previous to the use of fashioned garments. Bran had its prophets, and the presartorial simplicity of Adam its martyrs, tailored impromptu from the tar-pot of incensed neighbours, and sent forth to illustrate the 'feathered Mercury' as defined by Webster and Worcester. F. R. Lowell. Presbyope (pres bi-ōp), n. One affected with presbyopia; one who is long-sighted; a presbyte. Presbyopia (pres-bi-o'pi-a), n. [Gr.presbys, old, and ops, the eye.] An imperfection of vision commonly attendant upon the more advanced periods of life, in which near objects are seen less distinctly than those at a distance; presbytia. It is usually caused by flattening of the cornea, and hence convex Presbyopic (pres-bi-op'ik), a. Pertaining to spectacles are required. presbyopia; affected with presbyopia; farPresbyopy (pres-bi'ō-pi), n. See PRESBYsighted; presbytic. OPIA. Presbyte (pres'bit), n. [Gr. presbytes, an elderly person. ] A person affected with presbytia or presbyopia (which see). Presbyter (pres'bi-tèr), n. [L., from Gr. presbyteros, compar. of presbys, old. Priest is the same word in a greatly altered form.] 1. An elder or a person somewhat advanced in age, who had authority in the early Christian church.-2. A priest; a parson. 'New presbyter is but old priest writ large. Milton.-3. The pastor of a Presbyterian church 4. t A presbyterian. Hudibras. Presbyteral (pres'bi-tér-al), a. Relating to a presbyter or presbytery. Presbyterate (pres'bi-tér-at), n. 1. A presby tery.-2. The office or station of a presbyter. Presbyteress (pres'bi-tér-es), n. A female presbyter. Bale. Presbyterial (pres-bi-tē'ri-al), a. Same as Presbyterian. Presbyterian (pres-bi-te'ri-an), a. 1. Pertaining to a presbyter.-2. Pertaining to presbyters as governors in a church; pertaining to ecclesiastical government by presbyteries, or to those who uphold such gov ernment; as, presbyterian government: the presbyterian church; the presbyterian religion. PRESBYTERIAN Presbyterian (pres-bi-te'ri-an), n. 1. One that maintains the validity of ordination and government by presbyters.-2. A member of that section of the Christian church who hold that there is no order in the church as established by Christ and his apostles superior to that of presbyters, and who vest church government in presbyteries or associations of ministers and ruling elders, possessed all of equal powers, without any superiority among them either in office or in order. Presbyterianism (pres-bi-të'ri-an-izm), n. The doctrines, principles, and discipline or government of presbyterians. Presbyteritet (pres'bi-tér-it), n. Presbytery in its first sense. "The distinct order of the Presbyterite.' Jer. Taylor. Presbyterium (pres-bi-te'ri-um), n. [Gr. presbyterion.] In arch. that part of the church where divine offices are performed: applied to the choir or chancel, because it was the place appropriated to the bishop, priest, and other clergy, while the laity were confined to the body of the church. Presbytership (pres'bi-tér-ship), n. Same as Presbyterate. Presbytery (pres'bi-te-ri), n. 1. A body of elders in the Christian church, whether priests or laymen. 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 Tim. iv. 14. 2. A judicatory, consisting of the pastors of all the churches of any particular presbyterian denomination within a given district, along with their ruling (e. presiding) elders, there being one ruling elder from each church-session commissioned to represent the congregation in conjunction with the minister. The functions of the presbytery are, to grant licenses to preach the gospel, and to judge of the qualifications of such as apply for them; to ordain ministers to vacant charges; to judge in cases of reference for advice, and in complaints and appeals which come from the church-sessions within the bounds of the presbytery; and generally to superintend whatever relates to the spiritual interests of the several congregations under its charge, both in respect of doctrine and discipline. Appeals may be taken from the presbytery to the provincial synod, and thence to the general assembly.-3. The presbyterian religion. 'The question between episcopacy and presbytery.' Craik.4. In arch. the presbyterium (which see). Presbytia (pres-bit'i-a), n. [Gr. presbytes, an old person.] Same as Presbyopia. Dunglison. Presbytic (pres-bit'ik), a. Pertaining to or affected with presbytia. Dunglison. Prescience (prē'shi-ens), n. [L. prescientia. See PRESCIENT.] Foreknowledge; knowledge of events before they take place; foresight. Of things of the most accidental and mutable nature, God's prescience is certain. South. Prescient (prē'shi-ent), a. [L. præsciens, præscientis, ppr. of præscio, to foreknowpra, before, scio, to know.] 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? Pope. And I am prescient by the very hope And promise set upon me, that, henceforth, Only my gentleness shall make me great, My humbleness exalt me. E. B. Browning. Prescind (pre-sind'), v.t. [L. præscindopræ, before, and scindo, to cut.]. 1. To cut off; to abstract.-2. In metaph. to consider by a separate act of attention or analysis. 'Not an abstract idea compounded of inconsistencies, and prescinded from all real things.' Berkeley. Prescindent (pre-sind'ent), a. Prescinding; abstracting. Cheyne. Prescious (prē'shi-us), a. [L. præsciuspræ, before, and scio, to know.] Prescient; foreknowing; having foreknowledge. 'Prescious of ills.' Dryden. Prescribe (pre-skrib'), v. t. pret. & pp. prescribed; ppr. prescribing. [L. præscribopra, before, and scribo, to write. See SCRIBE.] 1. To lay down authoritatively for direction; to give as a rule of conduct; as, to prescribe laws or rules. Shak. Prescribe not us our duties, There's joy, when to wild will you laws prescribe. Dryden. 2. In med. to direct to be used as a remedy. The end of satire is the amendment of vices by cor 519 rection; and he who writes honestly is no more an enemy to the offender than the physician to the patient, when he prescribes harsh remedies. Dryden. 3. To direct. 'Let streams prescribe their fountains where to run.' Dryden. SYN. To appoint, order, command, dictate, ordain, institute, establish. Prescribe (pré-skrib'), v.i. pret. & pp. prescribed; ppr. prescribing. 1. To give law; to lay down rules or directions; to dictate. The assuming an authority of dictating to others, and a forwardness to prescribe to their opinions, is a constant concomitant of this bias of our judgments. Locke. 2. To write or give medical directions; to direct what remedies are to be used; as, to prescribe for a patient in a fever. 3. In law, (a) to claim by prescription; to claim a title to a thing by immemorial use and enjoyment: with for; as, to prescribe for a right of way, of common, or the like. (b) To become extinguished or of no validity through lapse of time, as a right, debt, obligation, and the like. That obligation upon the lands did not prescribe or come into disuse, but by fifty consecutive years of exemption. Arbuthnot. The negative prescription of obligations by the lapse of forty years, was first introduced by the sta tute 1469, c. 29, which declares that the person having interest in an obligation shall follow the same within the space of forty years, and take document thereupon; and if he does not, that it shall prescribe and be of no avail. Bell. Prescriber (prē-skrīb'èr), n. One that pre scribes; one who directs medically; one who gives any rules or directions. 'God Prescript (pre'skript), a. [L. præscriptus. the prescriber of order.' Fotherby. See PRESCRIBE.] Directed; set down as a rule; prescribed. A prescript form of words.' Jer. Taylor. Prescript (prē'skript), n. [L. præscriptum. See PRESCRIBE.] 1. A direction; a medical order; a prescription. Bp. Fell.-2. Direction; precept; model prescribed. 'Divine prescript. Milton. Prescriptibility (pre-skrip-ti-bil'i-ti), n. The quality of being prescriptible. Story. Suitable Prescriptible (pre-skrip'ti-bl), a. for being prescribed; depending or derived from prescription. If the matter were prescriptible. Grafton. Prescription (pre-skrip'shon), n. [L. præscriptio. See PRESCRIBE.] 1. The act of prescribing or directing by rules; that which is prescribed; direction; prescript. Who vainly brake the covenant of their God, Nor in the ways of his prescription trod. Sandys. 2. In med. a direction of remedies for a disease, and the manner of using them; a written statement of the medicines or remedies to be used by a patient. My reason, the physician to my love, 3. A claim or title based on long use or custom; specifically, in law, the claim of title to a thing by virtue of immemorial or long use and enjoyment; or the right to a thing derived from such use, such as a right of way, or of common, or the like; as, to acquire possession of a thing by prescription. After uninterrupted enjoyment for thirty, and in many cases for twenty years, a prima facie title arises by prescription to the thing enjoyed, and unless such enjoyment have continued under some consent or agreement, the title becomes in sixty years absolute and indefeasible. Prescription differs from custom, which is a local usage, and not annexed to any person, whereas prescription is a personal usage. In Scots law, the claim to lands acquired by uninterrupted possession upon some written title for a period now fixed at twenty years. This is positive prescription. Negative prescription is the loss or omission of 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, &c. It will be found a work of no small difficulty to dispossess a vice from the heart where long possession begins to plead prescription. South. Democracy does not require the support of prescription. Monarchy has often stood without that support, but a patrician order is the work of time. Macaulay. 1. ConsistPrescriptive (pre-skrip'tiv), a. ing in or acquired by prescription; as, a prescriptive right or title.-2. Pleading the continuance and authority of custom. The right to be drowsy in protracted toil has be come prescriptive. F. M. Mason. Prese, v.t. or i. To press or crowd. Chau cer. PRESENT Preseance, n. [Fr.] Priority of place in sitting. Their discreet judgment in precedence and preseance.' Carew. Preselect (pre'së-lekt), v. t. To select beforehand. Presence (prez'ens), n. [Fr., from L. præsentia-pra, before, and esse, to be.] 1. The state of being present; the existence of a person or thing in a certain place: opposed to absence; as, this event happened during the king's presence at the theatre; to detect the presence of noxious effluvia.-2. The being in company with, especially with a common object; company; society. To-night we hold a solemn supper, Shak. 3. The state of being within sight or call; neighbourhood or vicinity without the intervention of anything that prevents inter course. Full many a noble war-song had he sung, Ev'n in the presence of an enemy's fleet. Tennyson. 4. Persons assembled in a place, especially persons of rank; noble company. I know not by what power I am made bold, . . . In such a présence here to plead my thoughts. Shak. Odmar, of all this presence does contain, Give her your wreath whom you esteem most fair. Dryden. 5. Approach face to face or nearness of a great personage; the state of being in view of a superior. Men that very presence fear, Which once they knew authority did bear. Daniel. 6. Personality; the person of a superior, as a sovereign. Your royal presences be ruled by me.' Shak. The Sovran Presence thus replied: Was she thy God, that her thou didst obey? Millon. 7. Mien; air; personal appearance; demeanour. Be, as thy presence is, gracious and kind.' Shak. Virtue is best in a body that is comely, and that has rather dignity of presence, than beauty of aspect. Bacon. 8. The apartment in which an assembly is held before a prince or other great personage; a presence-chamber; a state-room. Here lies Juliet, and her beauty makes This vault a feasting presence full of light. Shak. An't please your grace, the two great cardinals Shak. Wait in the presence. -Presence of mind, readiness of invention; quickness in devising expedients on pressing occasions; a calm, collected state of the mind, with its faculties ready at command, which enables a person to speak or act without disorder or embarrassment in unexpected difficulties. Errors, not to be recalled, do find Their best redress from presence of the mind. Presence-chamber, Presence-room(prez'- [Rare.] [Pre 2. Being before the face or near; being in company; as, inquire of some of the gentlemen present. These things have I spoken to you, being yet present with you. Jn. xiv. 25. 3. Done or used on the spot; not delayed; instant; immediate. 'Present death.' Shak. "To which Mr. Donne was not able to make a present answer.' Aubrey.-4. Being now in view or under consideration. The much greater part of them are not brought up so well, or accustomed to so much religion, as in the Law. present instance. 5. Now existing, or being at this time; not |
