Preb"en*da*ry*ship, n. The office of a prebendary.
Preb"en*date (?), v. t. [LL. praebendatus, p. p. of praebendari.] To
invest with the office of prebendary; to present to a prebend. [Obs.]
Grafton.
Preb"end*ship (?), n. A prebendaryship. [Obs.] Foxe.
Pre*bron"chi*al (?), a. (Anat.) Situated in front of the bronchus; --
applied especially to an air sac on either side of the esophagus of
birds.
Pre*cal"cu*late (?), v. t. To calculate or determine beforehand; to
prearrange. Masson.
Pre"cant (?), n. [L. precans, -antis, p. pr. of precari to pray.] One
who prays. [R.] Coleridge.
Pre*ca"ri*ous (?), a. [L. precarius obtained by begging or prayer,
depending on request or on the will of another, fr. precari to pray,
beg. See Pray.] 1. Depending on the will or pleasure of another; held
by courtesy; liable to be changed or lost at the pleasure of another;
as, precarious privileges. Addison.
2. Held by a doubtful tenure; depending on unknown causes or events;
exposed to constant risk; not to be depended on for certainty or
stability; uncertain; as, a precarious state of health; precarious
fortunes. "Intervals of partial and precarious liberty." Macaulay.
Syn. -- Uncertain; unsettled; unsteady; doubtful; dubious; equivocal.
-- Precarious, Uncertain. Precarious in stronger than uncertain.
Derived originally from the Latin precari, it first signified "granted
to entreaty," and, hence, "wholly dependent on the will of another."
Thus it came to express the highest species of uncertainty, and is
applied to such things as depend wholly on future casualties.
-- Pre*ca"ri*ous*ly, adv. -- Pre*ca"ri*ous*ness, n.
Pre*ca"tion (?), n. [L. precatio.] The act of praying; supplication;
entreaty. Cotton.
{ Prec"a*tive (?), Prec"a*to*ry (?), } a. [L. precativus, precatorius,
fr. precari to pray. See Precarious.] Suppliant; beseeching. Bp.
Hopkins.
Precatory words (Law), words of recommendation, request, entreaty,
wish, or expectation, employed in wills, as distinguished from express
directions; -- in some cases creating a trust. Jarman.
Pre*cau"tion (?), n. [F. prÈcation, L. praecautio, fr. praecavere,
praecautum, to guard against beforehand; prae before + cavere be on
one's guard. See Pre-, and Caution.] 1. Previous caution or care;
caution previously employed to prevent mischief or secure good; as, his
life was saved by precaution.
They [ancient philosophers] treasured up their supposed discoveries
with miserable precaution.
J. H. Newman.
2. A measure taken beforehand to ward off evil or secure good or
success; a precautionary act; as, to take precautions against accident.
Pre*cau"tion, v. t. [Cf. F. prÈcautionner.] 1. To warn or caution
beforehand. Locke.
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