Preliminary Pre·lim"i·na·ry adjective [ Prefix
pre + Latin
liminaris belonging to a threshold, from
limen ,
liminis , threshold, entrance: confer French
préliminaire . Confer
Limit .]
Introductory; previous; preceding the main discourse or business; prefatory; as, preliminary observations to a discourse or book; preliminary articles to a treaty; preliminary measures; preliminary examinations. Syn. -- Introductory; preparatory; prefatory; proemial; previous; prior; precedent; antecedent.
Preliminary Pre·lim"i·na·ry noun ;
plural Preliminaries That which precedes the main discourse, work, design, or business; something introductory or preparatory; as, the preliminaries to a negotiation or duel; to take one's preliminaries the year before entering college. Syn. -- Introduction; preface; prelude.
Prelimit Pre·lim"it transitive verb To limit previously. [ R.]
Prelook Pre·look" intransitive verb To look forward. [ Obsolete]
Surrey.
Prelude Pre"lude noun [ French
prélude (cf. Italian
preludio , Late Latin
praeludium ), from Latin
prae before +
ludus play. See
Prelude ,
transitive verb ]
An introductory performance, preceding and preparing for the principal matter; a preliminary part, movement, strain, etc.; especially (Mus.) , a strain introducing the theme or chief subject; a movement introductory to a fugue, yet independent; -- with recent composers often synonymous with overture . The last Georgic was a good prelude to the Ænis
Addison. The cause is more than the prelude , the effect is more than the sequel, of the fact.
Whewell. Syn. -- Preface; introduction; preliminary; preamble; forerunner; harbinger; precursor.
Prelude Pre·lude" intransitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Preluded ;
present participle & verbal noun Preluding .] [ Latin
praeludere ,
praelusum ;
prae before +
ludere to play: confer French
préluder . See
Ludicrous .]
To play an introduction or prelude; to give a prefatory performance; to serve as prelude. The musicians preluded on their instruments.
Sir. W. Scott. We are preluding too largely, and must come at once to the point.
Jeffrey.
Prelude Pre·lude" transitive verb 1. To introduce with a previous performance; to play or perform a prelude to; as, to prelude a concert with a lively air. 2. To serve as prelude to; to precede as introductory. [ Music] preluding some great tragedy.
Longfellow
Preluder Pre·lud"er noun One who, or that which, preludes; one who plays a prelude. Mason.
Preludial Pre·lud"i·al adjective Of or pertaining to a prelude; of the nature of a prelude; introductory. [ R.]
Preludious Pre·lud"i·ous adjective Preludial. [ R.]
Dr. H. More.
Prelumbar Pre·lum"bar adjective (Anat.) Situated immediately in front of the loins; -- applied to the dorsal part of the abdomen.
Prelusive Pre·lu"sive adjective [ See
Prelude .]
Of the nature of a prelude; introductory; indicating that something of a like kind is to follow. "
Prelusive drops."
Thomson. --
Pre*lu"sive*ly ,
adverb
Prelusorily Pre·lu"so·ri·ly adverb In a prelusory way.
Prelusory Pre·lu"so·ry adjective Introductory; prelusive. Bacon.
Premature Pre`ma·ture" adjective [ Latin
praematurus ;
prae before +
maturus ripe. See
Mature .]
1. Mature or ripe before the proper time; as, the premature fruits of a hotbed. 2. Happening, arriving, existing, or performed before the proper or usual time; adopted too soon; too early; untimely; as, a premature fall of snow; a premature birth; a premature opinion; premature decay. 3. Arriving or received without due authentication or evidence; as, a premature report. --
Pre`ma*ture"ly ,
adverb --
Pre`ma*ture"ness ,
noun
Prematurity Pre`ma·tu"ri·ty noun [ Confer French
prématurité .]
The quality or state of being premature; early, or untimely, ripeness; as, the prematurity of genius.
Premaxilla Pre"max·il"la noun ;
plural Premaxillæ . [ New Latin See
Pre- , and
Maxilla .]
(Anat.) A bone on either side of the middle line between the nose and mouth, forming the anterior part of each half of the upper jawbone; the intermaxilla. In man the premaxillæ become united and form the incisor part of the maxillary bone.
Premaxillary Pre·max"il·la·ry adjective (Anat.) Situated in front of the maxillary bones; pertaining to the premaxillæ; intermaxillary. --
noun A premaxilla.
Premediate Pre·me"di·ate transitive verb To advocate. [ R.]
Premeditate Pre·med"i·tate transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Premeditated (-tā`t?d);
present participle & verbal noun Premeditating .] [ Latin
praemeditatus , past participle of
praemeditari ;
prae before +
meditari to meditate. See
Meditate .]
To think on, and revolve in the mind, beforehand; to contrive and design previously; as, to premeditate robbery. With words premeditated thus he said.
Dryden.
Premeditate Pre·med"i·tate intransitive verb To think, consider, deliberate, or revolve in the mind, beforehand.
Premeditate Pre·med"i·tate adjective [ Latin
praemeditatus , past participle ]
Premeditated; deliberate. [ Archaic]
Bp. Burnet.
Premeditately Pre·med"i·tate·ly adverb With premeditation. Burke.
Premeditation Pre·med`i·ta"tion noun [ Latin
praemeditatio : confer French
préméditation .]
The act of meditating or contriving beforehand; previous deliberation; forethought.
Premerit Pre·mer"it transitive verb To merit or deserve beforehand. [ Obsolete]
Eikon Basi......ke.
Premial, Premiant Pre"mi·al, Pre"mi·ant adjective [ Latin
praemialis . See
Premium .]
Serving to reward; rewarding. [ R.]
Baxter.
Premices Prem"i·ces noun plural [ French
prémices , Latin
primitiae . See
Primitia .]
First fruits. [ Obsolete]
Dryden.
Premier Pre"mi·er adjective [ French
premier , from Latin
primarius of the first rank, principal, from
primus the first. See
Primary ,
Prime ,
adjective ]
1. First; chief; principal; as, the premier place; premier minister. Camden. Swift. 2. Most ancient; -- said of the peer bearing the oldest title of his degree.
Premier Pre"mi·er noun The first minister of state; the prime minister.
Première Pre·mière" adjective fem. [ French, prop. fem. of
premier first. See
Premier ,
adjective ]
First; chief; as, a première danseuse. --
noun fem. ;
plural - mières (
F. pr
e *myâr").
(a) The leading woman of a group, esp. in a theatrical cast. (b) A first performance, as of a play; a first night.
Premiership Pre"mi·er·ship noun The office of the premier.
Premillennial Pre`mil·len"ni·al adjective Previous to the millennium.
Premious Pre"mi·ous adjective [ Latin
praemiosus , from
praemium a premium.]
Rich in gifts. [ R.]
Clarke.
Premise Prem"ise noun ;
plural Premises [ Written also, less properly,
premiss .] [ French
prémisse , from Latin
praemissus , past participle of
praemittere to send before;
prae before +
mittere to send. See
Mission .]
1. A proposition antecedently supposed or proved; something previously stated or assumed as the basis of further argument; a condition; a supposition. The premises observed,
Thy will by my performance shall be served.
Shak. 2. (Logic) Either of the first two propositions of a syllogism, from which the conclusion is drawn. "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.
While the premises stand firm, it is impossible to shake the conclusion.
Dr. H. More. 3. plural (Law) Matters previously stated or set forth; esp., that part in the beginning of a deed, the office of which is to express the grantor and grantee, and the land or thing granted or conveyed, and all that precedes the habendum ; the thing demised or granted. 4. plural A piece of real estate; a building and its adjuncts; as, to lease premises ; to trespass on another's premises .
Premise Pre·mise" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Premised ;
present participle & verbal noun Premising .] [ From Latin
praemissus , past participle , or English
premise , noun See
Premise ,
noun ]
1. To send before the time, or beforehand; hence, to cause to be before something else; to employ previously. [ Obsolete]
The premised flames of the last day.
Shak. If venesection and a cathartic be premised .
E. Darwin. 2. To set forth beforehand, or as introductory to the main subject; to offer previously, as something to explain or aid in understanding what follows; especially, to lay down premises or first propositions, on which rest the subsequent reasonings. I premise these particulars that the reader may know that I enter upon it as a very ungrateful task.
Addison.
Premise Pre·mise" intransitive verb To make a premise; to set forth something as a premise. Swift.
Premiss Prem"iss noun Premise. Whately. I. Watts
Premit Pre·mit" transitive verb To premise. [ Obsolete]
Donne.
Premium Pre"mi·um noun ;
plural Premiums . [ Latin
praemium , originally, what one has got before or better than others;
prae before +
emere to take, buy. See
Redeem .]
1. A reward or recompense; a prize to be won by being before another, or others, in a competition; reward or prize to be adjudged; a bounty; as, a premium for good behavior or scholarship, for discoveries, etc. To think it not the necessity, but the premium and privilege of life, to eat and sleep without any regard to glory.
Burke. The law that obliges parishes to support the poor offers a premium for the encouragement of idleness.
Franklin. 2. Something offered or given for the loan of money; bonus; -- sometimes synonymous with interest , but generally signifying a sum in addition to the capital. People were tempted to lend, by great premiums and large interest.
Swift. 3. A sum of money paid to underwriters for insurance, or for undertaking to indemnify for losses of any kind. 4. A sum in advance of, or in addition to, the nominal or par value of anything; as, gold was at a premium ; he sold his stock at a premium .
Premolar Pre·mo"lar adjective (Anat.) Situated in front of the molar teeth. --
noun An anterior molar tooth which has replaced a deciduous molar. See Tooth .
Premonish Pre·mon"ish transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Premonished ;
present participle & verbal noun Premonishing .] [ Prefix
pre- +
monish : confer Latin
praemonere .]
To forewarn; to admonish beforehand. [ R.]
Herrick. To teach, and to premonish .
Bk. of Com. Prayer.
Premonishment Pre·mon"ish·ment noun Previous warning or admonition; forewarning. Sir H. Wotton.
Premonition Pre`mo·ni"tion noun [ Latin
praemonitio . See
Premonish .]
Previous warning, notice, or information; forewarning; as, a premonition of danger.
Premonitor Pre·mon"i·tor noun [ Latin
praemonitor .]
One who, or that which, gives premonition.
Premonitory Pre·mon"i·to·ry adjective [ Latin
praemonitorius .]
Giving previous warning or notice; as, premonitory symptoms of disease. --
Pre*mon"i*to*ri*ly adverb
Premonstrant Pre·mon"strant noun A Premonstratensian.
Premonstrate Pre·mon"strate transitive verb [ Latin
praemonstratus , past participle of
praemonstrare ;
prae before +
monstrate to show.]
To show beforehand; to foreshow. [ R.]
Herbert.
Premonstratensian Pre·mon`stra·ten"sian noun [ French
prémontré , from
Prémontré , from Latin
pratum monstratum .]
(R. C. Ch.) One of a religious order of regular canons founded by St. Norbert at Prémontré, in France, in 1119. The members of the order are called also White Canons , Norbertines , and Premonstrants .
Premonstration Pre`mon·stra"tion noun [ Latin
praemonstratio .]
A showing beforehand; foreshowing.
Premonstrator Pre·mon"stra·tor noun [ Latin
praemonstrator .]
One who, or that which, premonstrates. [ R.]
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