Prē'tor, n.

n. [Lat. prætor, for præitor, from præire, to go before, from præ, before, and īre, to go; It. pretore, Sp., Pg., & Pr. pretor, Fr. préteur.]

1Sense 1. (Rom. Antiq.) A civil officer among the ancient Romans.

Originally the pretor was a kind of third consul; but at an early period two pretors were appointed, the first of whom (præ'tor urba'nus) was a kind of mayor or city judge; the other (præ'tor per'egri'nus) was a judge of cases in which one or both of the parties were foreigners. Still later, the number of pretors, or judges, was further increased.

2Sense 2. Hence, a mayor or magistrate. [R.] Dryden.