Prestidigitator Pres`ti·dig"i·ta`tor noun [ Latin praesto ready + digitus finger: confer French prestidigitateur .] One skilled in legerdemain or sleight of hand; a juggler.

Prestige Pres"tige noun [ French, from Latin praestigum delusion, illusion, praestigae deceptions, jugglers' tricks, probably from prae before + the root of stinguere to extinguish, originally, to prick. See Stick , v. ] 1. Delusion; illusion; trick. [ Obsolete]

The sophisms of infidelity, and the prestiges of imposture.

Bp. Warburton.

2. Weight or influence derived from past success; expectation of future achievements founded on those already accomplished; force or charm derived from acknowledged character or reputation. "The prestige of his name must go for something." Sir G. C. Lewis.

Prestigiation Pres·tig`i·a"tion noun [ Latin praestigiare to deceive by juggling tricks, from praestigae . See Prestige .] Legerdemain; prestidigitation. [ Obsolete]

Prestigiator Pres·tig"i·a`tor noun [ Latin praestigiator .] A juggler; prestidigitator. [ Obsolete] Dr. H. More.

Prestigiatory Pres·tig"i·a·to·ry adjective Consisting of impostures; juggling. [ Obsolete] Barrow.

Prestigious Pres·tig"i·ous adjective [ Latin praestigiosus .] Practicing tricks; juggling. [ Obsolete] Cotton Mather.

Prestimony Pres"ti·mo·ny noun [ Late Latin praestimonium , from Latin praestare to furnish, supply: confer French prestimonie . See Prest , noun ] (Canon Law) A fund for the support of a priest, without the title of a benefice. The patron in the collator.

Prestissimo Pres·tis"si·mo adverb [ Italian , superl. of presto .] (Mus.) Very quickly; with great rapidity.

Presto Pres"to adverb [ Italian or Spanish presto quick, quickly. See Prest , adjective ] 1. Quickly; immediately; in haste; suddenly.

Presto ! begone! 'tis here again.

Swift.

2. (Mus.) Quickly; rapidly; -- a direction for a quick, lively movement or performance; quicker than allegro, or any rate of time except prestissimo.

Prestriction Pre·stric"tion noun [ Latin praestrictio a binding fast, from praestringere . See Pre- , and Stringent .] Obstruction, dimness, or defect of sight. [ Obsolete] Milton.

Presultor Pre·sul"tor noun [ Latin praesultor ; prae before + salire to dance.] A leader in the dance. [ R.]

Presumable Pre·sum"a·ble adjective [ Confer French présumable .] Such as may be presumed or supposed to be true; that seems entitled to belief without direct evidence.

Presumably Pre·sum"a·bly adverb In a presumable manner; by, or according to, presumption.

Presume Pre·sume" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Presumed ; present participle & verbal noun Presuming .] [ French présumer , Latin praesumere , praesumptum ; prae before + sumere to take. See Assume , Redeem .] 1. To assume or take beforehand; esp., to do or undertake without leave or authority previously obtained.

Dare he presume to scorn us in this manner?

Shak.

Bold deed thou hast presumed , adventurous Eve.

Milton.

2. To take or suppose to be true, or entitled to belief, without examination or proof, or on the strength of probability; to take for granted; to infer; to suppose.

Every man is to be presumed innocent till he is proved to be guilty.

Blackstone.

What rests but that the mortal sentence pass, . . .
Which he presumes already vain and void,
Because not yet inflicted?

Milton.

Presume Pre·sume" intransitive verb 1. To suppose or assume something to be, or to be true, on grounds deemed valid, though not amounting to proof; to believe by anticipation; to infer; as, we may presume too far.

2. To venture, go, or act, by an assumption of leave or authority not granted; to go beyond what is warranted by the circumstances of the case; to venture beyond license; to take liberties; -- often with on or upon before the ground of confidence.

Do not presume too much upon my love.

Shak.

This man presumes upon his parts.

Locke.

Presumedly Pre·sum"ed·ly adverb By presumption.

Presumer Pre·sum"er noun One who presumes; also, an arrogant person. Sir H. Wotton.

Presumingly Pre·sum"ing·ly adverb Confidently; arrogantly.

Presumption Pre·sump"tion noun [ Latin praesumptio : confer French présomption , Old French also presumpcion . See Presume .] 1. The act of presuming, or believing upon probable evidence; the act of assuming or taking for granted; belief upon incomplete proof.

2. Ground for presuming; evidence probable, but not conclusive; strong probability; reasonable supposition; as, the presumption is that an event has taken place.

3. That which is presumed or assumed; that which is supposed or believed to be real or true, on evidence that is probable but not conclusive. "In contradiction to these very plausible presumptions ." De Quincey.

4. The act of venturing beyond due beyond due bounds; an overstepping of the bounds of reverence, respect, or courtesy; forward, overconfident, or arrogant opinion or conduct; presumptuousness; arrogance; effrontery.

Thy son I killed for his presumption .

Shak.

I had the presumption to dedicate to you a very unfinished piece.

Dryden.

Conclusive presumption . See under Conclusive . -- Presumption of fact (Law) , an argument of a fact from a fact; an inference as to the existence of one fact not certainly known, from the existence of some other fact known or proved, founded on a previous experience of their connection; supposition of the truth or real existence of something, without direct or positive proof of the fact, but grounded on circumstantial or probable evidence which entitles it to belief. Burrill. Best. Wharton. -- Presumption of law (Law) , a postulate applied in advance to all cases of a particular class; e. g. , the presumption of innocence and of regularity of records. Such a presumption is rebuttable or irrebuttable.

Presumptive Pre·sump"tive adjective [ Confer French présomptif .] 1. Based on presumption or probability; grounded on probable evidence; probable; as, presumptive proof.

2. Presumptuous; arrogant. [ R.] Sir T. Browne.

Presumptive evidence (Law) , that which is derived from circumstances which necessarily or usually attend a fact, as distinct from direct evidence or positive proof; indirect or circumstantial evidence. " Presumptive evidence of felony should be cautiously admitted." Blackstone. The distinction, however, between direct and presumptive (or circumstantial) evidence is now generally abandoned; all evidence being now more or less direct and more or less presumptive. -- Presumptive heir . See Heir presumptive , under Heir .

Presumptively Pre·sump"tive·ly adverb By presumption, or supposition grounded or probability; presumably.

Presumptuous Pre·sump"tu·ous adjective [ Latin praesumptuosus : confer French présomptueux , Old French also presumptuous . See Presumption .] 1. Full of presumption; presuming; overconfident or venturesome; audacious; rash; taking liberties unduly; arrogant; insolent; as, a presumptuous commander; presumptuous conduct.

A class of presumptuous men, whom age has not made cautious, nor adversity wise.

Buckminster.

2. Founded on presumption; as, a presumptuous idea. "False, presumptuous hope." Milton.

3. Done with hold design, rash confidence, or in violation of known duty; willful. "Keep back the servant also from presumptuous sins." Ps. xix. 13.

Syn. -- Overconfident; foolhardy; rash; presuming; forward; arrogant; insolent.

Presumptuously Pre·sump"tu·ous·ly adverb In a presumptuous manner; arrogantly.

Presumptuousness Pre·sump"tu·ous·ness noun The quality or state of being presumptuous.

Presupposal Pre`sup·pos"al noun Presupposition. [ R.] " Presupposal of knowledge." Hooker.

Presuppose Pre`sup·pose" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Presupposed ; present participle & verbal noun Presupposing .] [ Prefix pre- + suppose : confer French présupposer .] To suppose beforehand; to imply as antecedent; to take for granted; to assume; as, creation presupposes a creator.

Each [ kind of knowledge] presupposes many necessary things learned in other sciences, and known beforehand.

Hooker.

Presupposition Pre·sup`po·si"tion noun [ Prefix pre- + supposition : confer French présupposition .] 1. The act of presupposing; an antecedent implication; presumption.

2. That which is presupposed; a previous supposition or surmise.

Presurmise Pre`sur·mise" noun A surmise previously formed. Shak.

Presystolic Pre`sys·tol"ic adjective (Physiol.) Preceding the systole or contraction of the heart; as, the presystolic friction sound.

Pretemporal Pre·tem"po·ral adjective (Anat.) Situated in front of the temporal bone.

Pretence Pre·tence" noun , Pre*tence"ful adjective , Pre*tence"*less adjective See Pretense , Pretenseful , Pretenseless .

Pretend Pre·tend" transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Pretended ; present participle & verbal noun Pretending .] [ Middle English pretenden to lay claim to, French prétendre , Latin praetendere , praetentum , to stretch forward, pretend, simulate, assert; prae before + tendere to stretch. See Tend , transitive verb ] 1. To lay a claim to; to allege a title to; to claim.

Chiefs shall be grudged the part which they pretend .

Dryden.

2. To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something hidden. [ R.]

Lest that too heavenly form, pretended
To hellish falsehood, snare them.

Milton.

3. To hold out, or represent, falsely; to put forward, or offer, as true or real (something untrue or unreal); to show hypocritically, or for the purpose of deceiving; to simulate; to feign; as, to pretend friendship.

This let him know,
Lest, willfully transgressing, he pretend
Surprisal.

Milton.

4. To intend; to design; to plot; to attempt. [ Obsolete]

Such as shall pretend
Malicious practices against his state.

Shak.

5. To hold before one; to extend. [ Obsolete] "His target always over her pretended ." Spenser.

Pretend Pre·tend" intransitive verb 1. To put in, or make, a claim, truly or falsely; to allege a title; to lay claim to, or strive after, something; -- usually with to . "Countries that pretend to freedom." Swift.

For to what fine he would anon pretend ,
That know I well.

Chaucer.

2. To hold out the appearance of being, possessing, or performing; to profess; to make believe; to feign; to sham; as, to pretend to be asleep. "[ He] pretended to drink the waters." Macaulay.

Pretendant Pre·tend"ant noun A pretender; a claimant.

Pretended Pre·tend"ed adjective Making a false appearance; unreal; false; as, pretended friend. -- Pre*tend"ed*ly , adverb

Pretendence Pre·tend"ence noun The act of pretending; pretense. [ Obsolete] Daniel.

Pretender Pre·tend"er noun 1. One who lays claim, or asserts a title (to something); a claimant. Specifically, The pretender (Eng. Hist.) , the son or the grandson of James II., the heir of the royal family of Stuart, who laid claim to the throne of Great Britain, from which the house was excluded by law.

It is the shallow, unimproved intellects that are the confident pretenders to certainty.

Glanvill.

2. One who pretends, simulates, or feigns.

Pretendership Pre·tend"er·ship noun The character, right, or claim of a pretender. Swift.

Pretendingly Pre·tend"ing·ly adverb As by right or title; arrogantly; presumptuously. Collier.

Pretense, Pretence Pre·tense", Pre·tence noun [ Late Latin praetensus , for Latin praetentus , past participle of praetendere . See Pretend , and confer Tension .] 1. The act of laying claim; the claim laid; assumption; pretension. Spenser.

Primogeniture can not have any pretense to a right of solely inheriting property or power.

Locke.

I went to Lambeth with Sir R. Brown's pretense to the wardenship of Merton College, Oxford.

Evelyn.

2. The act of holding out, or offering, to others something false or feigned; presentation of what is deceptive or hypocritical; deception by showing what is unreal and concealing what is real; false show; simulation; as, pretense of illness; under pretense of patriotism; on pretense of revenging Cæsar's death.

3. That which is pretended; false, deceptive, or hypocritical show, argument, or reason; pretext; feint.

Let not the Trojans, with a feigned pretense
Of proffered peace, delude the Latian prince.

Dryden.

4. Intention; design. [ Obsolete]

A very pretense and purpose of unkindness.

Shak.

» See the Note under Offense .

Syn. -- Mask; appearance; color; show; pretext; excuse. -- Pretense , Pretext . A pretense is something held out as real when it is not so, thus falsifying the truth. A pretext is something woven up in order to cover or conceal one's true motives, feelings, or reasons. Pretext is often, but not always, used in a bad sense.

Pretensed Pre·tensed" adjective Pretended; feigned. [ Obsolete] -- Pre*tens"ed*ly adverb [ Obsolete]

Pretenseful Pre·tense"ful adjective Abounding in pretenses.

Pretenseless Pre·tense"less adjective Not having or making pretenses.

Pretension Pre·ten"sion noun [ Confer French prétention . See Pretend , Tension .] 1. The act of pretending, or laying claim; the act of asserting right or title.

The arrogant pretensions of Glengarry contributed to protract the discussion.

Macaulay.

2. A claim made, whether true or false; a right alleged or assumed; a holding out the appearance of possessing a certain character; as, pretensions to scholarship.

This was but an invention and pretension given out by the Spaniards.

Bacon.

Men indulge those opinions and practices that favor their pretensions .

L'Estrange.

Pretentative Pre·ten"ta·tive adjective [ Prefix pre- + tentative : confer Latin praetentare to try beforehand.] Fitted for trial beforehand; experimental. [ R.] Sir H. Wotton.

Pretentious Pre·ten"tious adjective [ Confer French prétentieux . See Pretend .] Full of pretension; disposed to lay claim to more than is one's; presuming; assuming. -- Pre*ten"tious*ly , adverb - - Pre*ten"tious*ness , noun

Preter- Pre"ter- [ Latin praeter past, beyond, originally a compar. of prae before. See For , prep .] A prefix signifying past , by , beyond , more than ; as, preter- mission, a permitting to go by; preter natural, beyond or more than is natural. [ Written also præter .]

Preterhuman Pre`ter·hu"man adjective [ Prefix preter- + human .] More than human.

Preterient Pre·te"ri·ent adjective [ Latin praeteriens , present participle See Preterit .] Passed through; antecedent; previous; as, preterient states. [ R.]

Preterimperfect Pre`ter·im·per"fect adjective & noun [ Prefix preter- + imperfect .] (Gram.) Old name of the tense also called imperfect .

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