Preconform Pre`con·form" transitive verb & i. To conform by way anticipation. De Quincey.
Preconformity Pre`con·form"i·ty noun Anticipative or antecedent conformity. Coleridge.
Preconizate Pre·con"i·zate transitive verb [ Confer French
préconiser .]
To proclaim; to publish; also, to summon; to call. [ Obsolete]
Bp. Burnet.
Preconization Pre·con`i·za"tion noun [ Latin
praeconium a crying out in public, from
praeco ,
- onis , a crier, a herald: confer French
préconisation .]
1. A publishing by proclamation; a public proclamation. Bp. Hall. 2. (Eccl.) A formal approbation by the pope of a person nominated to an ecclesiastical dignity. Addis & Arnold.
Preconize Pre"con·ize transitive verb (Eccl.) To approve by preconization.
Preconquer Pre·con"quer transitive verb To conquer in anticipation. [ R.]
Fuller.
Preconscious Pre·con""scious adjective Of or pertaining to a state before consciousness.
Preconsent Pre`con·sent" noun A previous consent.
Preconsign Pre`con·sign" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Preconsigned ;
present participle & verbal noun Preconsigning .]
To consign beforehand; to make a previous consignment of.
Preconsolidated Pre`con·sol"i·da`ted adjective Consolidated beforehand.
Preconstitute Pre·con"sti·tute transitive verb To constitute or establish beforehand.
Precontract Pre`con·tract" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Precontracted ;
present participle & verbal noun Precontracting .]
To contract, engage, or stipulate previously.
Precontract Pre`con·tract" intransitive verb To make a previous contract or agreement. Ayliffe.
Precontract Pre·con"tract noun A contract preceding another ; especially
(Law) ,
a contract of marriage which, according to the ancient law, rendered void a subsequent marriage solemnized in violation of it. Abbott.
Precontrive Pre`con·trive" transitive verb & i. To contrive or plan beforehand.
Precoracoid Pre·cor"a·coid noun (Anat.) The anterior part of the coracoid (often closely united with the clavicle) in the shoulder girdle of many reptiles and amphibians.
Precordial Pre·cor"di·al adjective [ Prefix
pre- + Latin
cor ,
cordis , heart: confer French
précordial .]
(Anat.) Situated in front of the heart; of or pertaining to the præcordia.
Precrural Pre·cru"ral adjective (Anat.) Situated in front of the leg or thigh; as, the precrural glands of the horse.
Precurrer Pre·cur"rer noun A precursor. [ Obsolete]
Shak.
Precurse Pre·curse" noun [ Latin
praecursus .]
A forerunning. [ Obsolete]
Shak.
Precursive Pre·cur"sive adjective Preceding; introductory; precursory. "A deep
precursive sound."
Coleridge.
Precursor Pre·cur"sor noun [ Latin
praecursor , from
praecurrere to run before;
prae before +
currere to run. See
Course .]
One who, or that which, precedes an event, and indicates its approach; a forerunner; a harbinger. Evil thoughts are the invisible, airy precursors of all the storms and tempests of the soul.
Buckminster. Syn. -- Predecessor; forerunner; harbinger; messenger; omen; sign.
Precursorship Pre·cur"sor·ship noun The position or condition of a precursor. Ruskin.
Precursory Pre·cur"so·ry adjective [ Latin
praecursorius .]
Preceding as a precursor or harbinger; indicating something to follow; as, precursory symptoms of a fever.
Precursory Pre·cur"so·ry noun An introduction. [ Obsolete]
Predacean Pre·da"cean noun [ Latin
praeda prey.]
(Zoology) A carnivorous animal. Kirby.
Predaceous Pre·da"ceous adjective [ Latin
praeda prey. See
Prey .]
Living by prey; predatory. Derham.
Predal Pre"dal adjective [ Latin
praeda prey.]
Of or pertaining to prey; plundering; predatory. [ R.]
Boyse.
Predate Pre·date" transitive verb To date anticipation; to affix to (a document) an earlier than the actual date; to antedate; as, a predated deed or letter.
Predation Pre·da"tion noun [ Latin
praedatio , from
praedari to plunder.]
The act of pillaging. E. Hall.
Predatorily Pred"a·to·ri·ly adverb In a predatory manner.
Predatory Pred"a·to·ry adjective [ Latin
praedatorius , from
praedari to plunder, from
praeda prey. See
Prey .]
1. Characterized by plundering; practicing rapine; plundering; pillaging; as, a predatory excursion; a predatory party. "A
predatory war."
Macaulay. 2. Hungry; ravenous; as, predatory spirits. [ Obsolete]
Exercise . . . maketh the spirits more hot and predatory .
Bacon. 3. (Zoology) Living by preying upon other animals; carnivorous.
Prede Prede intransitive verb [ Latin
praedari . See
Prey .]
To prey; to plunder. [ Obsolete]
Holinshed.
Prede Prede noun Prey; plunder; booty. [ Obsolete]
Holinshed.
Predecay Pre"de·cay` noun Premature decay.
Predecease Pre`de·cease transitive verb To die sooner than. "If children
predecease progenitors."
Shak.
Predecease Pre"de·cease` noun The death of one person or thing before another. [ R.]
Brougham.
Predecessive Pred`e·ces"sive adjective Going before; preceding. "Our
predecessive students."
Massinger.
Predecessor Pred`e·ces"sor noun [ Latin
praedecessor ;
prae before +
decessor one who withdraws from the province he has governed, a retiring officer (with reference to his successor), a predecessor, from
decedere : confer French
prédécesseur . See
Decease .]
One who precedes; one who has preceded another in any state, position, office, etc.; one whom another follows or comes after, in any office or position. A prince who was as watchful as his predecessor had been over the interests of the state.
Prescott.
Predeclare Pre`de·clare" transitive verb To declare or announce beforehand; to preannounce. Milman.
Prededication Pre·ded`i·ca"tion noun A dedication made previously or beforehand.
Predefine Pre`de·fine transitive verb To define beforehand.
Predeliberation Pre`de·lib`er·a"tion noun Previous deliberation.
Predelineation Pre`de·lin`e·a"tion noun Previous delineation.
Predella Pre·del"la noun [ Italian ]
The step, or raised secondary part, of an altar; a superaltar; hence, in Italian painting, a band or frieze of several pictures running along the front of a superaltar, or forming a border or frame at the foot of an altarpiece.
Predesign Pre`de·sign" transitive verb To design or purpose beforehand; to predetermine. Mitford.
Predesignate Pre·des"ig·nate adjective (Logic) A term used by Sir William Hamilton to define propositions having their quantity indicated by a verbal sign; as, all , none , etc.; -- contrasted with preindesignate , defining propositions of which the quantity is not so indicated.
Predestinarian Pre·des`ti·na"ri·an adjective Of or pertaining to predestination; as, the predestinarian controversy. Waterland.
Predestinarian Pre·des`ti·na"ri·an noun One who believes in or supports the doctrine of predestination. Dr. H. More.
Predestinarianism Pre·des`ti·na"ri·an·ism noun The system or doctrine of the predestinarians.
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