Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Pres·tīg′i·ā′tion, n. p. 1032The playing of legerdemain tricks; a juggling; sleight of hand. [Obs.]Pres·tĭg·i·ā'tor, n. p. 1032A juggler; a conjurer. [Obs.] Henry More.Pres·tig'i·a-to-ry, a. p. 1032Consisting of, or effected by, impostures; juggling. [Obs.]Pres-tig'i-ous, a. p. 1032Practicing tricks; juggling. [Obs.]Prĕs'ti-mo-ny, n. p. 1032(Canon Law.) A fund for the support of a priest, appropriated by the founder, but not erected into any title of benefice, and not subject to the pope or the ordinary, but of which the patron is the…Pres-tis'si-mo, adv. p. 1033Very quickly; with the greatest rapidity.Prést'-môn'ey, n. p. 1033Money paid to men when they enlist into the British service, so called because they hold themselves prest, or ready to march at command. Todd.Près'to, adv. p. 1033Quickly; immediately; in haste; suddenly. Presto, begone, 'tis here again. Swift. 2. (Mus.) Quickly; rapidly:—a direction for a quick, lively movement or performance.Pre-stric'tion, n. p. 1033Dimness, as of sight. [Obs.] Milton.Prést'-sail, n. p. 1033(Naut.) The whole amount of sail that a vessel is capable of carrying.Pre-sŭl'tor, n. p. 1033One who goes before in dancing; a leader in the dance.Pre-süm'a-ble, a. p. 1033Such as may be presumed, or supposed to be true; entitled to belief without examination or direct evidence.Pre-sŭm'a-bly, adv. p. 1033In a presumable manner; by, or according to, presumption.Pre-sūme′, v. t. p. 1033To assume or take beforehand; to obtain in advance of; to undertake. [Rare.] Bold deed thou hast presumed, adventurous Eve. Milton. 2. To take or suppose to be true, or entitled to belief, without…Pre-sūme′, v. i. p. 1033To suppose or assume something to be, or to be true, on grounds deemed valid, though not amounting to proof; to believe by anticipation; to think; as, we may presume too far. 2. To venture beyond…Pre-süm'er, n. p. 1033One who presumes; also, an arrogant person. Wotton.Pre-sŭm'ing-ly, adv. p. 1033Confidently; arrogantly.Pre-sümption, n. p. 1033The act of believing upon probable evidence, or taking for granted; belief upon incomplete proof; opinion. 2. Ground for presuming; evidence probable, but not conclusive; strong probability; as, the…Pre-sŭmp'tive, a. p. 1033Taken by presumption or previous supposition; grounded on probable evidence. 2. Unreasonably confident; adventuring without reasonable ground to expect success; presumptuous; arrogant. [Rare.]…Pre-sŭmp'tive-ly, adv. p. 1033By presumption, or supposition grounded on probability. Burke.Pre-sŭmp'tŭ-ōŭs, a. p. 1033Full of presumption; presuming; over-confident or venturesome; going beyond bounds of due self-appreciation or modesty; audacious; taking liberties unduly; arrogant; as, a presumptuous commander.…Pre-sŭmp'tŭ-ōŭs-ly, adv. p. 1033In a presumptuous manner; with presumption; arrogantly; insolently. 2. In bold defiance of conscience, or violation of known duty; as, to sin presumptuously.Pre-sŭmp'tū-ous-ness, n. p. 1033The quality of being presumptuous, or rashly confident; irreverent boldness or forwardness; arrogance.Prē/sup-pōz'al, n. p. 1033Supposal previously formed; presupposition. Hooker.Prē'sup-pōze', v. t. p. 1033To suppose as previous; to imply as antecedent; to take for granted; to presume; to assume. Each kind of knowledge presupposes many necessary things learned in other sciences, and known beforehand.…Pre-sŭp'po-sĭ'tion, n. p. 1033The act of presupposing; supposition or antecedent implication; presumption. 2. That which is presupposed; previous supposition or surmise.Pré/sur-mīse', n. p. 1033A surmise previously formed. Shak.Pre-tĕnce', n. p. 1033See PRETENSE.Pre-tēnd', v. t. p. 1033To hold before one; to thrust forward; to extend. [Obs. and rare.] “His target always over her pretended.” Spencer. 2. Hence, to put forth; to practice; to plot; to intend. [Obs.] “I'll give her…Pre-tĕnd’, v. i. p. 1033To put in a claim, truly or falsely; to allege a title; to lay claim; to strive after something; — usually with to. “Countries that pretend to freedom.” Swift.Pre-tĕnd'ant, n. p. 1033A pretender; a claimant. Milman.Pre-tĕnd'ed-ly, adv. p. 1033By false appearance or representation.Pre-tēnd'ence, n. p. 1033The act of pretending; pretence. [Obs.] Daniel.Pre-tēnd'er, n. p. 1033One who pretends, simulates, or feigns; one who lays claim. 2. (Eng. Hist.) The heir of the royal family of Stuart, who laid claim to the crown of Great Britain, but was excluded by law. Burnet.Pre-tĕnd′er-shĭp, n. p. 1033The right or claim of the pretender. Swift.Pre-tĕnd'ing-ly, adv. p. 1033Arrogantly; presumptuously.Pre-tēnse' or Pre-tēnce', n. p. 1033The act of holding out or offering to others something false or feigned; presentation of what is deceptive or hypocritical; false show; simulation; — sometimes preceded by on; as, on pretense of…Pre-tĕnsed’, a. p. 1033Pretended; feigned; as, a pretensed right to land. [Obs.]Pre-tĕns'ed-ly, adv. p. 1033Pretendedly. [Obs.] Drant.Pre-tēnse'ful, a. p. 1033Abounding in pretenses.Pre-tĕn'sion, n. p. 1033The act of pretending or holding forth; or that which is pretended; pretext; fictitious show; deception; cheat. [Obs.] This was but an invention and pretension given out by the Spaniards. Bacon. 2.…Pre-tēnse'less, a. p. 1033Not having or making pretenses.Pre-tĕnt'a-tive, a. p. 1033Capable of being previously tried or attempted. [Rare.] Wotton.Pre-tĕn'tiōus, a. p. 1033Full of pretension; disposed to lay claim to more than is one's due; presuming; assuming. [Recent.]Pre-tĕn'tious-ly, adv. p. 1033In a pretentious manner.Pre-tĕn’tious-ness, n. p. 1033The quality of being pretentious.Prē'ter p. 1033A prefix, from the Lat. præter, used in the composition of some English words, and having the signification of past, beyond: hence, beside, more.Pré'ter-hū'man, a. p. 1033More than human; superhuman.Pre-tē'ri-ent, a. p. 1033Passed through; previous.Prē'ter-im-pēr'fect, a. p. 1033(Gram.) Not absolutely or distinctly past; an epithet designating the tense which expresses action or being not perfectly past, and which is more usually called the imperfect tense.Prĕt'er-ist, n. p. 1033One whose chief interest is in the past; one who regards the past with most pleasure or favor. 2. (Theol.) One who believes the prophecies of the Apocalypse to have been already fulfilled.Pré't'er-it or Pré'ter-it, a. p. 1033Past;—applied to the tense in grammar which expresses an action or being perfectly past or finished, often that which is just past or completed, but without a specification of time, and which is…Prĕt'er-it or Prē'ter-it, n. p. 1033(Gram.) The past or perfect tense.Pré'ter-īte, a. & n. p. 1033The same as PRETERIT.Prĕt'er-īte-ness or Prē'ter-īte-ness, n. p. 1033The same as PRETERITNESS.Pré'ter-i'tion, n. p. 1033The act of going past; the state of being past. 2. (Rhet.) A figure by which, in pretending to pass over any thing, a summary mention of it is made; as, “I will not say, he is valiant, he is learned…Pre-tĕr'i-tive, a. p. 1034(Gram.) Used only or chiefly in the preterit or past tenses;— said of certain verbs.Prĕt'er-it-ness or Prē'ter-it-ness, n. p. 1034The state of being past. [Obs.] Bentley.Prē'ter-lāp'sed', a. p. 1034Past; gone by; as, preterlapsed ages. Walker.Pré/ter-lē'gal, a. p. 1034Exceeding the limits of law; not legal. [Rare.] K. Charles.