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.
Pret'ti-ly, adv. p. 1034In a pretty manner; pleasingly; with neatness and taste; as, a woman prettily dressed; a parterre prettily ornamented with flowers. Children kept out of ill company take a pride to behave themselves…Pret'ti-ness, n. p. 1034The quality of being pretty; diminutive beauty; pleasantness without stateliness or dignity; as, the prettiness of the face; the prettiness of a bird or other small animal; the prettiness of dress.…Pret'ty, a. p. 1034Pleasing by delicacy or grace; attracting, but not striking or impressing; exciting pleasure and liking rather than admiration and awe; having slight or diminutive beauty; neat or elegant without…Pret'ty, adv. p. 1034In some degree; tolerably; moderately; quite; as, I am pretty sure of the fact; the wind is pretty fair. The writer pretty plainly professes himself a sincere Christian. Atterbury. ☞ In these and…Pret'ty-ĭsh, a. p. 1034Somewhat pretty. Walpole.Pret'ty-ĭsm, n. p. 1034Affectation of a pretty style, manner, or the like. Ed. Rev.Pret'ty-spōk'en, a. p. 1034Spoken or speaking prettily.Pre-ty'p'i-fy, v. t. p. 1034To prefigure; to exhibit previously in a type. Pearson.Pre-vāil', v. i. p. 1034To overcome; to gain the victory or superiority; to gain the advantage; to succeed; — sometimes with over or against. When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand…Pre-vāil'ing, p. a. p. 1034Predominant; having more influence; prevalent; superior in power; efficacious. Saints shall assist thee with prevailing prayers. Rowe. 2. Predominant; most general; as, the prevailing disease of a…Pre-vāil’ing-ly, adv. p. 1034So as to prevail, or have success.Pre-vāil'ment, n. p. 1034Prevalence. [Obs.] Shak.Prē'va-lençe, n. p. 1034The condition or quality of being prevalent; superior strength, influence, or efficacy; most efficacious force in producing an effect; success. The duke better knew what kind of arguments were [was]…Prē'va-len-cy, n. p. 1034The same as PREVALENCE.Prē'vā-lent, a. p. 1034Gaining advantage or superiority; having superior force or efficacy; prevailing; efficacious. Brennus told the Roman embassadors that prevalent arms were as good as any title. Raleigh. 2. Most…Prēv'a-lent-ly, adv. p. 1034With predominance or superiority; powerfully. The evening star so falls into the main, To rise at morn more prevalently bright. Prior.Pre-vări-ēāte, v. i. p. 1034To shift or turn from one side to the other, from the direct course, or from truth; to play foully; to evade telling the truth; to shuffle; to quibble. 2. (Civil Law.) To collude, as where an…Pre-văr′i-ēāte, v. t. p. 1034To evade by a quibble; to pervert; to corrupt. [Obs.] When any of us hath prævaricated our part of the covenant, we must return. Bp. Taylor.Pre-vāri'-ēā'tion, n. p. 1034The act of shuffling or quibbling to evade the truth or the disclosure of truth; a deviation from the plain path of truth and fair dealing. 2. A secret abuse in the exercise of a public office or…Pre-vă'ri-ēā'tor, n. p. 1034One who prevaricates; a shuffler; a quibbler. 2. (Civil Law.) A sham dealer; one who colludes with a defendant in a sham prosecution. 3. One who abuses his trust.Prēve, v. t. p. 1034To prove. [Obs.] Experience so preveth it every day. Chaucer.Pre-vēne', v. t. p. 1034To come before; to anticipate; hence, to hinder. [Obs.] Philips.Pre-vēn'i-ence, n. p. 1034The act of anticipating, or going before; anticipation. [Rare.]Pre-vēn'i-ent, a. p. 1034Going before; preceding. “Prevenient grace descending.” Milton. 2. Hence, preventive.Pre-vĕnt', v. t. p. 1034To go before; to precede. [Obs.] No man, therefore, can prevent the Spirit, in doing good. Pymdale. 2. To be beforehand with; to get the start of; to anticipate; to forestall. [Obs.] “Their ready…Pre-vēnt', v. i. p. 1034To come before the usual time. [Obs.] Bacon.Pre-vĕnt'a-bĭl'i-ty, n. p. 1035The quality of being preventable; capability of being prevented.Pre-vĕnt'a-ble, a. p. 1035Capable of being prevented or hindered. Reynolds.Pre-vĕnt'a-tive, n. p. 1035That which prevents;—incorrectly used instead of preventive, q. v.Pre-vĕnt’er, n. p. 1035One who goes before. [Obs.] 2. One who hinders; a hinderer; that which hinders; as, a preventer of evils or of disease. 3. (Naut.) An additional rope or spar, used as a support. Dana.Preventer-bolts or Preventer-plates p. 1035bolts driven at the lower end of the preventer-plates, to assist the strain of the chain-bolts.—Preventer-plates, plates of iron below the links of the chains. Weale.Pre-vĕnt'ing-ly, adv. p. 1035In such a manner or way as to hinder.Pre-vĕnʹtion, n. p. 1035The act of going before. [Obs.] Bacon. 2. Pre-occupation; anticipation. [Obs.] Hammond. 3. The act of hindering; hinderance; obstruction of access or approach. Prevention of sin is one of the…Pre-vĕn’tion-al, a. p. 1035Tending to prevent. [Obs.]Pre-vēnt’ive, a. p. 1035Tending to prevent; hindering the access of; as, a medicine preventive of disease. Browne. Preventive service, the duty performed by the armed police in guarding the coast against smuggling. [Eng.]Pre-vĕnt'ive, n. p. 1035That which prevents; that which intercepts access or approach. 2. (Med.) An antidote previously taken to prevent an attack of disease.Pre-vĕn'tive-ly, adv. p. 1035By way of prevention; in a manner that tends to hinder.Prē'vi-oŭs, a. p. 1035Going before in time; being or happening before something else; antecedent; prior; as, a previous intimation of a design; a previous event. Sound from the mountain, previous to the storm, Rolls o'er…Prē'vi-oŭs-ly, adv. p. 1035In time preceding; beforehand; antecedently; as, a plan previously formed.Prē'vi-oŭs-ness, n. p. 1035Antecedence; priority in time.Pre-vĭsē', v. t. p. 1035To foresee. [Rare.]Pre-vĭs'ion, n. p. 1035Foresight; foreknowledge; prescience.Pre-warn', v. t. p. 1035To warn beforehand; to give previous notice to; to forewarn.Prey, n. p. 1035Any thing, as goods, &c., taken by force from an enemy in war; spoil; booty; plunder. And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, to Moses, and Eleazar the priest. Num. xxxi. 12. 2.…Prey, v. i. p. 1035To take booty; to collect spoil; to rapine; to take food by violence. More pity that the eagle should be mewed, While kites and buzzards prey at liberty. Shak. To prey on or upon. (a.) To take prey…Prey'er, n. p. 1035One who or that which preys; a plunderer; a waster; a devourer.Prey'ful, a. p. 1035Full of disposition to prey. [Obs.] “The preyful brood of savage beasts.” Chapman.Pri'al, n. p. 1035A corruption of pair-royal. See PAIR-ROYAL.Prĭ'a-pē'an, n. p. 1035(Lat. Pros.) A species of hexameter verse so constructed as to be divisible into two portions of three feet each, having generally a trochee in the first and fourth foot, and an amphimacer in the…Pri'a-pĭsm, n. p. 1035(Med.) More or less permanent erection and rigidity of the penis, without concupiscence.Price, n. p. 1035The sum or amount of money at which a thing is valued, or the value which a seller sets on his goods in market; that for which something is bought or sold, or offered for sale; equivalent in money or…Prīce, v. t. p. 1035To pay for. [Obs.] “With his own blood to price thy blood.” Spenser. 2. To set a price on. See PRIZE.Price'less, a. p. 1035Too valuable to admit of being prized or valued; of inestimable worth; invaluable. 2. Without value; worthless or unsalable. J. Barlow.Prick, v. t. p. 1035To pierce with a sharp-pointed instrument or substance; to make a puncture in; to drive a fine point into; as, to prick one with a pin, needle, or the like. 2. To fix by the point; to hang by…Prick, v. i. p. 1035To be pricked or punctured; to suffer or feel penetration by a point or sharp pain. 2. To spur onward; to ride forth on horseback. Before each van Prick forth the airy knights. Milton. 3. To become…Prick, n. p. 1035That which pricks, penetrates, or punctures; a sharp and slender thing; a pointed instrument, a goad, spur, or the like; a point; a skewer. “Pins, wooden pricks, nails, sprigs of rosemary.” Shak. It…Prick, v. i. p. 1035To dress one's self for show: to deck one's self out; to prink. “They have much pricking.” Latimer.Prick'er, n. p. 1035That which pricks; a sharp point; a pointed instrument; a prickle. 2. One who pricks or spurs forward; a light horseman. The prickers, who rode foremost in the troop, halted. W. Scott. 3. A thin rod…Prĭck'et, n. p. 1035A buck in his second year. Manwood.Prick'ing, n. p. 1035The act of piercing with a sharp point. 2. (Far.) (a.) The driving of a nail into a horse’s foot so as to produce lameness. (b.) The same as NICKING. Gardner. 3. A sensation of sharp pain, or of…