Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter P - Page 113
Preoblongata (n.) (Anat.) The anterior part of the medulla oblongata. -- B. G. Wilder.
Preobtain (v. t.) To obtain beforehand.
Preoccupancy (n.) The act or right of taking possession before another; as, the preoccupancy of wild land.
Preoccupancy (n.) The mental state of being preoccupied by something [syn: preoccupation, preoccupancy, absorption, engrossment].
Preoccupancy (n.) The act of taking occupancy before someone else does [syn: preoccupancy, preoccupation].
Preoccupate (v. t.) To anticipate; to take before. [Obs.] "Fear preoccupateth it [death]." -- Bacon.
Preoccupate (v. t.) To prepossess; to prejudice. [Obs.] -- Sir H. Wotton.
Preoccupation (n.) 搶先佔據；搶先佔有 [U]；全神貫注，入神 [U] [S] [（+with）]；專心的事物，關注的事物 [C] The act of preoccupying, or taking possession of beforehand; the state of being preoccupied; prepossession.
Preoccupation (n.) Anticipation of objections. [R.] -- South.
Preoccupation (n.) An idea that preoccupies the mind and holds the attention.
Preoccupation (n.) The mental state of being preoccupied by something [syn: preoccupation, preoccupancy, absorption, engrossment].
Preoccupation (n.) The act of taking occupancy before someone else does [syn: preoccupancy, preoccupation].
Preoccupied (imp. & p. p.) of Preoccupy.
Preoccupying (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Preoccupy.
Preoccupy (v. t.) To take possession of before another; as, to preoccupy a country not before held.
Preoccupy (v. t.) To prepossess; to engage, occupy, or engross the attention of, beforehand; hence, to prejudice.
I Think it more respectful to the reader to leave something to reflections than to preoccupy his judgment. -- Arbuthnot.
Preoccupied (a.) Deeply absorbed in thought; "as distant and bemused as a professor listening to the prattling of his freshman class"; "lost in thought"; "a preoccupied frown" [syn: bemused, deep in thought(p), lost(p), preoccupied].
Preoccupied (a.) Having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something; "became more and more haunted by the stupid riddle"; "was absolutely obsessed with the girl"; "got no help from his wife who was preoccupied with the children"; "he was taken up in worry for the old woman" [syn: haunted, obsessed, preoccupied, taken up(p)].
Preocular (a.) (Zool.) Placed just in front of the eyes, as the antennae of certain insects.
Preocular (n.) One of the scales just in front of the eye of a reptile or fish.
Preominate (v. t.) To ominate beforehand; to portend. [Obs.] -- Sir T. Browne.
Preopercular (a.) (Anat.) Situated in front of the operculum; pertaining to the preoperculum.
Preopercular (n.) The preoperculum.
Preoperculum (n.) [NL.] (Anat.) The anterior opercular bone in fishes.
Preopinion (n.) Opinion previously formed; prepossession; prejudice. -- Sir T. Browne.
Preoption (n.) Right of first choice.
Preoral (a.) (Anat.) Situated in front of, or anterior to, the mouth; as, preoral bands.
Preorbital (a.) (Anat.) Situated in front or the orbit.
Preordain (v. t.) To ordain or appoint beforehand: to predetermine: to foreordain. -- Milton.
Preordain (v.) Foreordain or determine beforehand [syn: predestine, foreordain, preordain].
Preorder (v. t.) To order to arrange beforehand; to foreordain. -- Sir W. Hamilton.
Preordinance (n.) Antecedent decree or determination. -- Shak.
Preordinate (a.) Preordained. [R.] -- Sir T. Elyot.
Preordination (n.) The act of foreordaining: previous determination. "The preordination of God." -- Bale.
Preordination (n.) (Theology) Being determined in advance; especially the doctrine (usually associated with Calvin) that God has foreordained every event throughout eternity (including the final salvation of mankind) [syn: predestination, foreordination, preordination, predetermination].
Preparable (a.) Capable of being prepared. "Medicine preparable by art." -- Boyle.
Preparedness (n.) (Formal) 準備狀態，預備狀態 The state of being prepared for a particular situation
// The army is in a state of preparedness for war.
Preparation (n.) [U] [S1] [（+of/ for）] 準備，預備；[C] [P1] [（+for）]（具體的）準備工作，準備措施；[U] 【英】【書】預習；備課；[U]（食品的）烹調；（藥品的）調劑，配製；[C] 烹調食品；配製成的東西 The act of preparing or fitting beforehand for a particular purpose, use, service, or condition; previous arrangement or adaptation; a making ready; as, the preparation of land for a crop of wheat; the preparation of troops for a campaign.
Preparation (n.) The state of being prepared or made ready; preparedness; readiness; fitness; as, a nation in good preparation for war.
Preparation (n.) That which makes ready, prepares the way, or introduces; a preparatory act or measure.
Preparation (n.) That which is prepared, made, or compounded by a certain process or for a particular purpose; a combination. Specifically: (a) Any medicinal substance fitted for use. (b) Anything treated for preservation or examination as a specimen. (c) Something prepared for use in cookery.
Preparation (n.) An army or fleet. [Obs.]
Preparation (n.) The holding over of a note from one chord into the next chord, where it forms a temporary discord, until resolved in the chord that follows; the anticipation of a discordant note in the preceding concord, so that the ear is prepared for the shock. See Suspension.
Preparation (n.) Accomplishment; qualification. [Obs.]
Preparation (n.) The activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose; "preparations for the ceremony had begun" [syn: {preparation}, {readying}].
Preparation (n.) A substance prepared according to a formula; "the physician prescribed a commercial preparation of the medicine" [syn: {formulation}, {preparation}].
Preparation (n.) The cognitive process of thinking about what you will do in the event of something happening; "his planning for retirement was hindered by several uncertainties" [syn: {planning}, {preparation}, {provision}].
Preparation (n.) The state of having been made ready or prepared for use or action (especially military action); "putting them in readiness"; "their preparation was more than adequate" [syn: {readiness}, {preparedness}, {preparation}].
Preparation (n.) (Music) A note that produces a dissonant chord is first heard in a consonant chord; "the resolution of one dissonance is often the preparation for another dissonance" [ant: {resolution}].
Preparation (n.) Activity leading to skilled behavior [syn: {training}, {preparation}, {grooming}].
Preparation (n.) Preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home) [syn: {homework}, {prep}, {preparation}].
Preparation (n.) The act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat; "cooking can be a great art"; "people are needed who have experience in cookery"; "he left the preparation of meals to his wife" [syn: {cooking}, {cookery}, {preparation}].
Preparation (n.) (Getting ready) (B1) [ U ] 準備工作；準備，預備 The things that you do or the time that you spend preparing for something.
// The teacher didn't seem to have done much preparation for the class.
// The team blamed injuries and lack of preparation for their failure to win.
// Yasmin assisted in the preparation of this article.
Preparations (B2) (n. pl.) 準備，預備 Plans or arrangements that you make to prepare for something.
// [ + to infinitive ] We are making preparations to fly Mr Goodall to the nearest hospital.
// Preparations for the opening ceremony are well under way.
Preparation (n.) (Mixture) [ C ] 配製品；（常指醫藥）製劑 A mixture of substances, often for use as a medicine.
// A preparation for nappy rash.
Preparative (a.) Tending to prepare or make ready; having the power of preparing, qualifying, or fitting; preparatory.
Preparative (n.) That which has the power of preparing, or previously fitting for a purpose; that which prepares.
Preparative (n.) That which is done in the way of preparation.
Preparatively (adv.) By way of preparation.
Preparator (n.) One who prepares beforehand, as subjects for dissection, specimens for preservation in collections, etc.
Preparatory (a.) Preparing the way for anything by previous measures of adaptation; antecedent and adapted to what follows; introductory; preparative; as, a preparatory school; a preparatory condition.
Prepare (imp. & p. p.) of Prepare.
Preparing (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Prepare.
Prepare (v. t.) 準備，預備；使有準備，為…作準備；訓練，制訂 To fit, adapt, or qualify for a particular purpose or condition; to make ready; to put into a state for use or application; as, to prepare ground for seed; to prepare a lesson.
Our souls, not yet prepared for upper light. -- Dryden.
Prepare (v. t.) To procure as suitable or necessary; to get ready; to provide; as, to prepare ammunition and provisions for troops; to prepare ships for defence; to prepare an entertainment. --Milton.
That they may prepare a city for habitation. -- Ps. cvii. 36
Syn: To fit; adjust; adapt; qualify; equip; provide; form; make; make; ready.
Prepare (v. i.) 預備，作好準備 To make all things ready; to put things in order; as, to prepare for a hostile invasion. "Bid them prepare for dinner." -- Shak.
Prepare (v. i.) To make one's self ready; to get ready; to take the necessary previous measures; as, to prepare for death.
Prepare (n.) Preparation.
Prepared (a.) Made fit or suitable; adapted; ready; as, prepared food; prepared questions.
Preparer (n.) One who, or that which, prepares, fits, or makes ready.
Prepaid (imp. & p. p.) of Prepay.
Prepaying (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Prepay.
Prepay (v. t.) To pay in advance, or beforehand; as, to prepay postage.
Prepay (v.) Pay for something before receiving it.
Prepayment (n.) Payment in advance.
Prepenial (a.) (Anat.) Situated in front of, or anterior to, the penis.
Prepense (v. i.) To deliberate beforehand. [Obs.]
Prepense (a.) Devised, contrived, or planned beforehand; preconceived; premeditated; aforethought; -- usually placed after the word it qualifies; as, malice prepense.
This has not arisen from any misrepresentation or error prepense. -- Southey.
Prepense (v. t.) To weigh or consider beforehand; to premeditate. [Obs.] -- Spenser. Sir T. Elyot.
Prepense. () The same as aforethought. (q.v.) Vide 2 Chit. Cr. Law, *784.
Prepensely (adv.) In a premeditated manner. Prepollence
Prepollence (n.) Alt. of Prepollency.
Prepollency (n.) The quality or state of being prepollent; superiority of power; predominance; prevalence. [R.] -- Coventry.
Prepollent (a.) Having superior influence or power; prevailing; predominant. [R.] -- Boyle.
Prepollices (n. pl. ) of Prepollent
Prepollent (n.) An extra first digit, or rudiment of a digit, on the preaxial side of the pollex.
Preponder (v. t.) To preponderate. [Obs.] Preponderance
Preponderance (n.) Alt. of Preponderancy.
Preponderancy (n.) The quality or state of being preponderant; superiority or excess of weight, influence, or power, etc.; an outweighing.
The mind should . . . reject or receive proportionably to the preponderancy of the greater grounds of probability. -- Locke.
In a few weeks he had changed the relative position of all the states in Europe, and had restored the equilibrium which the preponderance of one power had destroyed. -- Macaulay.
Preponderancy (n.) (Gun.) The excess of weight of that part of a canon behind the trunnions over that in front of them.
Preponderance (n.) Superiority in power or influence; "the preponderance of good over evil"; "the preponderance of wealth and power."
Preponderance (n.) A superiority in numbers or amount; "a preponderance of evidence against the defendant" [syn: preponderance, prevalence].
Preponderance (n.) Exceeding in heaviness; having greater weight; "the least preponderance in either pan will unbalance the scale."
Preponderant (a.) Preponderating; outweighing; overbalancing; -- used literally and figuratively; as, a preponderant weight; of preponderant importance. -- Pre*pon"der*ant*ly, adv.
Preponderant (a.) Having superior power and influence; "the predominant mood among policy-makers is optimism" [syn: overriding, paramount, predominant, predominate, preponderant, preponderating].
Preponderated (imp. & p. p.) of Preponderate.
Preponderating (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Preponderate.
Preponderate (v. t.) To outweigh; to overpower by weight; to exceed in weight; to overbalance.
An inconsiderable weight, by distance from the center of the balance, will preponderate greater magnitudes. -- Glanvill.
Preponderate (v. t.) To overpower by stronger or moral power.
Preponderate (v. t.) To cause to prefer; to incline; to decide. [Obs.]
The desire to spare Christian blood preponderates him for peace. -- Fuller.
Preponderate (v. i.) To exceed in weight; hence, to incline or descend, as the scale of a balance; figuratively, to exceed in influence, power, etc.; hence; to incline to one side; as, the affirmative side preponderated.
That is no just balance in which the heaviest side will not preponderate. -- Bp. Wilkins.
Preponderate (v.) Weigh more heavily; "these considerations outweigh our wishes" [syn: preponderate, outweigh, overbalance, outbalance].
Preponderatingly (adv.) In a preponderating manner; preponderantly.
Preponderation (n.) The act or state of preponderating; preponderance; as, a preponderation of reasons.
Prepose (v. t.) To place or set before; to prefix.
Preposition (n.) (Gram.) 【文】介系詞，前置詞 [C] A word employed to connect a noun or a pronoun, in an adjectival or adverbial sense, with some other word; a particle used with a noun or pronoun (in English always in the objective case) to make a phrase limiting some other word; -- so called because usually placed before the word with which it is phrased; as, a bridge of iron; he comes from town; it is good for food; he escaped by running.
Preposition (n.) A proposition; an exposition; a discourse. [Obs.]
He made a long preposition and oration. -- Fabyan.
Preposition (n.) A function word that combines with a noun or pronoun or noun phrase to form a prepositional phrase that can have an adverbial or adjectival relation to some other word.
Preposition (n.) (Linguistics) The placing of one linguistic element before another (as placing a modifier before the word it modifies in a sentence or placing an affix before the base to which it is attached).
Prepositional (a.) 介系詞的，前置詞的 Of or pertaining to a preposition; of the nature of a preposition. -- Early. -- Prep`o*si"tion*al*ly, adv.
Prepositional (a.) Of or relating to or formed with a preposition; "prepositional phrase".
Prepositive (a.) Put before; prefixed; as, a prepositive particle.
Prepositive (n.) A prepositive word.
Prepositor (n.) 級長；指導生 A scholar appointed to inspect other scholars; a monitor. -- Todd.
Prepositure (n.) The office or dignity of a provost; a provostship. -- Lowth.
Prepossessed (imp. & p. p.) of Prepossess.
Prepossessing (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Prepossess.
Prepossess (v. t.) To preoccupy, as ground or land; to take previous possession of.
Prepossess (v. t.) To preoccupy, as the mind or heart, so as to preclude other things; hence, to bias or prejudice; to give a previous inclination to, for or against anything; esp., to induce a favorable opinion beforehand, or at the outset.
Prepossessing (a.) Tending to invite favor; attracting confidence, favor, esteem, or love; attractive; as, a prepossessing manner.
Prepossession (n.) Preoccupation; prior possession. -- Hammond.
Prepossession (n.) Preoccupation of the mind by an opinion, or impression, already formed; preconceived opinion; previous impression; bias; -- generally, but not always, used in a favorable sense; as, the prepossessions of childhood. "The prejudices and prepossessions of the country." -- Sir W. Scott.
Syn: Bent; bias; inclination; preoccupancy; prejudgment. See Bent.
Prepossession (n.) The condition of being prepossessed; "the king's prepossession in my favor is very valuable."
Prepossession (n.) An opinion formed beforehand without adequate evidence; "he did not even try to confirm his preconceptions" [syn: preconception, prepossession, parti pris, preconceived opinion, preconceived idea, preconceived notion].
Prepossessor (n.) One who possesses, or occupies, previously.
Preposterous (a.) 十分荒謬的，可笑的；反常的；乖戾的；【古】首尾倒置的 Having that first which ought to be last; inverted in order. [Obs.]
The method I take may be censured as preposterous, because I thus treat last of the antediluvian earth, which was first in the order of nature. -- Woodward.
Preposterous (a.) Contrary to nature or reason; not adapted to the end; utterly and glaringly foolish; unreasonably absurd; perverted. "Most preposterous conclusions." -- Shak.
Preposterous ass, that never read so far! -- Shak.
Syn: Absurd; perverted; wrong; irrational; foolish; monstrous. See {Absurd}. -- {Pre*pos"ter*ous*ly}, adv. -- {Pre*pos"ter*ous*ness}, n.
Preposterous (a.) Incongruous;inviting ridicule; "the absurd excuse that the dog ate his homework"; "that's a cockeyed idea"; "ask a nonsensical question and get a nonsensical answer"; "a contribution so small as to be laughable"; "it is ludicrous to call a cottage a mansion"; "a preposterous attempt to turn back the pages of history"; "her conceited assumption of universal interest in her rather dull children was ridiculous" [syn: {absurd}, {cockeyed}, {derisory}, {idiotic}, {laughable}, {ludicrous}, {nonsensical}, {preposterous}, {ridiculous}].
Prepostor (n.) See {Prepositor}.
Prepotency (n.) The quality or condition of being prepotent; predominance. [Obs.] -- Sir T. Browne.
Prepotency (n.) (Biol.) The capacity, on the part of one of the parents, as compared with the other, to transmit more than his or her own share of characteristics to their offspring.
Prepotency (n.) The state of being predominant over others [syn: predominance, predomination, prepotency].
Prepotent (a.) Very powerful; superior in force, influence, or authority; predominant. -- Plaifere.
Prepotent (a.) (Biol.) Characterized by prepotency. -- Darwin.
Preprovide (v. t.) To provide beforehand. "The materials preprovided." -- Fuller.