Shak.
4. To set above or before something else in estimation, favor, or
liking; to regard or honor before another; to hold in greater favor; to
choose rather; -- often followed by to, before, or above.
If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
Ps. cxxxvii. 6.
Preferred an infamous peace before a most just war.
Knolles.
Preferred stock, stock which takes a dividend before other capital
stock; -- called also preference stock and preferential stock.
Syn. -- To choose; elect. See Choose.
Pref`er*a*bil"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being preferable;
preferableness. J. S. Mill.
Pref"er*a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F. prÈfÈrable.] Worthy to be preferred or
chosen before something else; more desirable; as, a preferable scheme.
Addison.
Pref"er*a*ble*ness, n. The quality or state of being preferable.
Pref"er*a*bly, adv. In preference; by choice.
To choose Plautus preferably to Terence.
Dennis.
Pref"er*ence (?), n. [Cf. F. prÈfÈrence.] 1. The act of Preferring, or
the state of being preferred; the setting of one thing before another;
precedence; higher estimation; predilection; choice; also, the power or
opportunity of choosing; as, to give him his preference.
Leave the critics on either side to contend about the preference
due to this or that sort of poetry.
Dryden.
Knowledge of things alone gives a value to our reasonings, and
preference of one man's knowledge over another's.
Locke.
2. That which is preferred; the object of choice or superior favor; as,
which is your preference?
Pref`er*en"tial (?), a. Giving, indicating, or having a preference or
precedence; as, a preferential claim; preferential shares.
Pre*fer"ment (?), n. 1. The act of choosing, or the state of being
chosen; preference. [R.]
Natural preferment of the one . . . before the other.
Sir T. Browne.
2. The act of preferring, or advancing in dignity or office; the state
of being advanced; promotion.
Neither royal blandishments nor promises of valuable preferment had
been spared.
Macaulay.
3. A position or office of honor or profit; as, the preferments of the
church.
Pre*fer"rer (?), n. One who prefers.
Pref"i*dence (?), n. The quality or state of being prefident. [Obs.]
Baxter.
Pref"i*dent (?), a. [Cf. L. praefidens overconfident. See Pre-, and
Confident.] Trusting beforehand; hence, overconfident. [Obs.] Baxter.
Pre*fig"u*rate (?), v. t. [L. praefiguratus, p. p. See Prefigure.] To
prefigure. [R.] Grafton.
Pre*fig`u*ra"tion (?), n. [L. praefiguratio.] The act of prefiguring,
or the state of being prefigured.
A variety of prophecies and prefigurations.
Norris.
Pre*fig"ur*a*tive (?), a. Showing by prefiguration. "The prefigurative
atonement." Bp. Horne.
Pre*fig"ure (?; 135), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prefigured (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Prefiguring.] [F. prÈfigurer, or L. praefigurare, praefiguratum;
prae before + figurare to figure. See Figure, and cf. Prefigurate.] To
show, suggest, or announce, by antecedent types and similitudes; to
foreshadow. "Whom all the various types prefigured." South.
Pre*fig"ure*ment (?), n. The act of prefiguring; prefiguration; also,
that which is prefigured. Carlyle.
Pre*fine" (?), v. t. [L. praefinire; prae before + finire to limit,
determine: cf. F. prÈfiner.] To limit beforehand. [Obs.] Knolles.
<! p. 1129 !>
Pre*fi"nite (?), a. [L. praefinitus, p. p.] Prearranged. [Obs.] " Set
and prefinite time." Holland.
Pref`i*ni"tion (?), n. [L. praefinitio.] Previous limitation. [Obs.]
Fotherby.
Pre*fix" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prefixed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prefixing.] [L. praefixus, p. p. of praefigere to fix or fasten before;
prae before + figere to fix: cf. F. prÈfix fixed beforehand,
determined, prÈfixer to prefix. See Fix.]
1. To put or fix before, or at the beginning of, another thing; as, to
prefix a syllable to a word, or a condition to an agreement.
2. To set or appoint beforehand; to settle or establish antecedently.
[Obs.] " Prefixed bounds. " Locke.
And now he hath to her prefixt a day.
Spenser.
Pre"fix (?), n. [Cf. F. prÈfixe.] That which is prefixed; esp., one or
more letters or syllables combined or united with the beginning of a
word to modify its signification; as, pre- in prefix, con- in conjure.
Pre*fix"ion (?), n. [Cf. OF. prefixion.] The act of prefixing. [R.]
Bailey.
Pre`flo*ra"tion (?), n. [Pref. pre- + L. flos, floris, flower.] (Bot.)
∆stivation.
Pre*fo`li*a"tion (?), n. [Pref. pre- + L. folium leaf.] (Bot.)
Vernation.
Pre*form" (&?;), v. t. [L. praeformare. See Pre-, and Form.] To form
beforehand, or for special ends. "Their natures and preformed
faculties. " Shak.
Pre`for*ma"tion (?), n. (Biol.) An old theory of the preÎxistence of
germs. Cf. EmboÓtement.
Pre*form"a*tive (?), n. A formative letter at the beginning of a word.
M. Stuart.
Pre*fron"tal (?), a. (Anat. & Zoˆl.) Situated in front of the frontal
bone, or the frontal region of the skull; ectethmoid, as a certain bone
in the nasal capsule of many animals, and certain scales of reptiles
and fishes. -- n. A prefrontal bone or scale.
Pre*ful"gen*cy (?), n. [L. praefulgens, p. pr. of praefulgere to shine
forth. See Pre-, and Fulgent.] Superior brightness or effulgency. [R.]
Barrow.
Pre*gage" (&?;), v. t. To preÎngage. [Obs.] Fuller.
Pre*gla"cial (?), a. (Geol.) Prior to the glacial or drift period.
Preg"na*ble (?), a., [F. prenable. See Impregnable.] Capable of being
entered, taken, or captured; expugnable; as, a pregnable fort. [R.]
Cotgrave.
Preg"nance (?), n. Pregnancy. [Obs.] Milton.
Preg"nan*cy (?), n. 1. The condition of being pregnant; the state of
being with young.
2. Figuratively: The quality of being heavy with important contents,
issue, significance, etc.; unusual consequence or capacity; fertility.
Fuller.
Preg"nant (?), a. [L. praegnans, -antis; prae before + genere, gignere,
to beget: cf. F. prÈgnant. See Gender, 2d Kin.]
1. Being with young, as a female; having conceived; great with young;
breeding; teeming; gravid; preparing to bring forth.
2. Heavy with important contents, significance, or issue; full of
consequence or results; weighty; as, pregnant replies. " A pregnant
argument." Prynne. " A pregnant brevity." E. Everett.
3. Full of promise; abounding in ability, resources, etc.; as, a
pregnant youth. [Obs.] Evelyn.
Wherein the pregnant enemy does much.
Shak.
Pregnant construction (Rhet.), one in which more is implied than is
said; as, the beasts trembled forth from their dens, that is, came
forth trembling with fright.
Preg"nant, n. A pregnant woman. [R.] Dunglison.
Preg"nant, a. [F. prenant taking. Cf. Pregnable.] Affording entrance;
receptive; yielding; willing; open; prompt. [Obs.] " Pregnant to good
pity." Shak.
Preg"nant*ly, adv. In a pregnant manner; fruitfully; significantly.
Preg"nant*ly, adv. Unresistingly; openly; hence, clearly; evidently.
[Obs.] Shak.
Pre"gra*vate (?), v. t. [L. praegravatus, p. p. of praegravare to be
heavy upon, fr. praegravis very heavy.] To bear down; to depress.
[Obs.] Bp. Hall.
Pre*grav"i*tate (?), v. i. To descend by gravity; to sink. [R.] Boyle.
Pre*gus"tant (?), a. [L. praegustans, p. pr. of praegustare to taste
beforehand; prae before + gustare to taste.] Tasting beforehand; having
a foretaste. [R.] Ed. Rev.
Pre`gus*ta"tion (?), n. The act of tasting beforehand; foretaste. [R.]
Dr. Walker (1678).
||Pre*hal"lux (?), n. [NL. See Pre- , and Hallux.] (Anat.) An extra
||first toe, or rudiment of a toe, on the preaxial side of the hallux.
Pre*hend" (&?;), v. t. [L. prehendere. See Prehensile.] To lay hold of;
to seize. [Obs.] Middleton.
Pre*hen"si-ble (?), a. [Cf. F. prÈhensible.] Capable of being seized.
Pre*hen"sile (?), a. [L. prehensus, p. p. of prehendere to lay hold of,
seize; pre- (equiv. to prae before) + hendere (in comp.), akin to E.
get: cf. F. prÈhensile. See Get, and cf. Prison, Prize, n.] Adapted to
seize or grasp; seizing; grasping; as, the prehensile tail of a monkey.
Pre*hen"sion (?), n. [L. prehensio; cf. F. prÈhension. See Prehensile.]
The act of taking hold, seizing, or grasping, as with the hand or other
member.
Pre*hen"so*ry (?), a. Adapted to seize or grasp; prehensile.
Pre`his*tor"ic (?), a. Of or pertaining to a period before written
history begins; as, the prehistoric ages; prehistoric man.
Prehn"ite (?), n. [So called from the German Colonel Prehn, who first
found it.] (Min.) A pale green mineral occurring in crystalline
aggregates having a botryoidal or mammillary structure, and rarely in
distinct crystals. It is a hydrous silicate of alumina and lime.
Prehn*it"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or designating, a tetrabasic
acid of benzene obtained as a white crystalline substance; -- probably
so called from the resemblance of the wartlike crystals to the mammillÊ
on the surface of prehnite.
Pre`in*des"ig*nate (?), a. (Logic.) Having no sign expressive of
quantity; indefinite. See Predesignate.
Pre*in`dis*pose" (&?;), v. t. To render indisposed beforehand. Milman.
Pre`in*struct" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Preinstructed; p. pr. & vb.
n. Preinstructing.] To instruct previously or beforehand. Dr. H. More.
Pre*in`ti*ma"tion (?), n. Previous intimation; a suggestion beforehand.
T. Scott.
Pre*judge" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prejudged (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n.
Prejudging.] [Pref. pre + judge: cf. F. prÈjuger. Cf. Prejudicate,
Prejudice.] To judge before hearing, or before full and sufficient
examination; to decide or sentence by anticipation; to condemn
beforehand.
The committee of council hath prejudged the whole case, by calling
the united sense of both houses of Parliament" a universal clamor."
Swift.
Pre*judg"ment (?), n. The act of prejudging; decision before sufficient
examination.
Pre*ju"di*ca*cy (?), n. Prejudice; prepossession. [Obs.] Sir. H.
Blount.
Pre*ju"di*cal (?), a. Of or pertaining to the determination of some
matter not previously decided; as, a prejudical inquiry or action at
law.
Pre*ju"di*cant (?), a. [L. praejudicans, p. pr.] Influenced by
prejudice; biased. [R.] " With not too hasty and prejudicant ears."
Milton.
Pre*ju"di*cate (?), a. [L. praejudicatus, p. p. of praejudicare to
prejudge; prae before + judicare to judge. See Judge.] 1. Formed before
due examination. "Ignorance and prejudicate opinions." Jer. Taylor.
2. Biased by opinions formed prematurely; prejudiced. "Prejudicate
readers." Sir T. Browne.
Pre*ju"di*cate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prejudicated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Prejudicating.] [Cf. Prejudge.] To determine beforehand, especially
to disadvantage; to prejudge.
Our dearest friend Prejudicates the business.
Shak.
Pre*ju"di*cate, v. i. To prejudge. Sir P. Sidney.
Pre*ju"di*cate*ly (?), adv. With prejudice.
Pre*ju`di*ca"tion (?), n. 1. The act of prejudicating, or of judging
without due examination of facts and evidence; prejudgment.
2. (Rom. Law) (a) A preliminary inquiry and determination about
something which belongs to a matter in dispute. (b) A previous
treatment and decision of a point; a precedent.
Pre*ju"di*ca*tive (?), a. Forming a judgment without due examination;
prejudging. Dr. H. More.
Prej"u*dice (?), n. [F. prÈjudice, L. praejudicium; prae before +
judicium judgment. See Prejudicate, Judicial.] 1. Foresight. [Obs.]
Naught might hinder his quick prejudize.
Spenser.
2. An opinion or judgment formed without due examination; prejudgment;
a leaning toward one side of a question from other considerations than
those belonging to it; an unreasonable predilection for, or objection
against, anything; especially, an opinion or leaning adverse to
anything, without just grounds, or before sufficient knowledge.
Though often misled by prejudice and passion, he was emphatically
an honest man.
Macaulay.
3. (Law) A bias on the part of judge, juror, or witness which
interferes with fairness of judgment.