Pre`cep*to"ri*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to a preceptor.
Pre*cep"to*ry (?; 277), a. Preceptive. "A law preceptory." Anderson
(1573).
Pre*cep"to*ry, n.; pl. Preceptories (#). [LL. praeceptoria an estate
assigned to a preceptor, from L. praeceptor a commander, ruler,
teacher, in LL., procurator, administrator among the Knights Templars.
See Preceptor.] A religious house of the Knights Templars, subordinate
to the temple or principal house of the order in London. See
Commandery, n., 2.
Pre*cep"tress (?), n. A woman who is the principal of a school; a
female teacher.
Pre*ces"sion (?), n. [L. praecedere, praecessum, to go before: cf. F.
prÈcession. See Precede.] The act of going before, or forward.
Lunisolar precession. (Astron.) See under Lunisolar. -- Planetary
precession, that part of the precession of the equinoxes which depends
on the action of the planets alone. -- Precession of the equinoxes
(Astron.), the slow backward motion of the equinoctial points along the
ecliptic, at the rate of 50.2″ annually, caused by the action of
the sun, moon, and planets, upon the protuberant matter about the
earth's equator, in connection with its diurnal rotation; -- so called
because either equinox, owing to its westerly motion, comes to the
meridian sooner each day than the point it would have occupied without
the motion of precession, and thus precedes that point continually with
reference to the time of transit and motion.
Pre*ces"sion*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to pression; as, the
precessional movement of the equinoxes.
Pre*ces"sor (?), n. [L. praecessor.] A predecessor. [Obs.] Fuller.
Pre"cinct (?; 277), n. [LL. praecinctum, fr. L. praecingere,
praecinctum, to gird about, to encompass; prae before + cingere to
gird, surround. See Pre-, and Cincture.] 1. The limit or exterior line
encompassing a place; a boundary; a confine; limit of jurisdiction or
authority; -- often in the plural; as, the precincts of a state. "The
precincts of light." Milton.
2. A district within certain boundaries; a minor territorial or
jurisdictional division; as, an election precinct; a school precinct.
3. A parish or prescribed territory attached to a church, and taxed for
its support. [U.S.]
The parish, or precinct, shall proceed to a new choice.
Laws of Massachusetts.
Pre`ci*os"i*ty (?), n. Preciousness; something precious. [Obs.] Sir T.
Browne.
Pre"cious (?), a. [OF. precious, precius, precios, F. prÈcieux, L.
pretiosus, fr. pretium price, worth, value. See Price.] 1. Of great
price; costly; as, a precious stone. "The precious bane." Milton.
2. Of great value or worth; very valuable; highly esteemed; dear;
beloved; as, precious recollections.
She is more precious than rules.
Prov. iii. 15.
Many things which are most precious are neglected only because the
value of them lieth hid.
Hooker.
Also used ironically; as, a precious rascal.