Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter P - Page 116
Presignification (n.) (Archaic) 預感，預知，預兆 The act of signifying or showing beforehand [syn: {presage}].
Presignified (imp. & p. p.) of Presignify.
Presignifying (imp. & p. p.) of Presignify.
Presignify (v. t.) 預示 To intimate or signify beforehand; to presage.
Presphenoid (a.) (Anat.) Situated in front of the sphenoid bone; of or pertaining to the anterior part of the sphenoid bone (i. e., the presphenoid bone).
Presphenoid bone (Anat.), The anterior part of the body of the sphenoid bone in front of the basisphenoid. It is usually a separate bone in the young or fetus, but becomes a part of the sphenoid in the adult.
Presphenoid (n.) (Anat.) The presphenoid bone.
Presphenoidal (a.) (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the presphenoid bone; presphenoid.
Prespinal (a.) (Anat.) Prevertebral.
Press (n.) (Zool.) An East Indian insectivore ({Tupaia ferruginea). It is arboreal in its habits, and has a bushy tail. The fur is soft, and varies from rusty red to maroon and to brownish black.
Press (v. t.) To force into service, particularly into naval service; to impress.
To peaceful peasant to the wars is pressed. -- Dryden.
Press (n.) A commission to force men into public service, particularly into the navy.
I have misused the king's press. -- Shak.
Press gang, or Pressgang, A detachment of seamen under the command of an officer empowered to force men into the naval service. See Impress gang, under Impress.
Press money, Money paid to a man enlisted into public service. See Prest money, under Prest, a.
Pressed (imp. & p. p.) of Press.
Pressing (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Press.
Press (v. t.) To urge, or act upon, with force, as weight; to act upon by pushing or thrusting, in distinction from pulling; to crowd or compel by a gradual and continued exertion; to bear upon; to squeeze; to compress; as, we press the ground with the feet when we walk; we press the couch on which we repose; we press substances with the hands, fingers, or arms; we are pressed in a crowd.
Good measure, pressed down, and shaken together. -- Luke vi. 38.
Press (v. t.) To squeeze, in order to extract the juice or contents of; to squeeze out, or express, from something.
From sweet kernels pressed, She tempers dulcet creams. -- Milton.
And I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. -- Gen. xl. 11.
Press (v. t.) To squeeze in or with suitable instruments or apparatus, in order to compact, make dense, or smooth; as, to press cotton bales, paper, etc.; to smooth by ironing; as, to press clothes.
Press (v. t.) To embrace closely; to hug.
Leucothoe shook at these alarms,
And pressed Palemon closer in her arms. -- Pope.
Press (v. t.) To oppress; to bear hard upon.
Press not a falling man too far. -- Shak.
Press (v. t.) To straiten; to distress; as, to be pressed with want or hunger.
Press (v. t.) To exercise very powerful or irresistible influence upon or over; to constrain; to force; to compel.
Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. -- Acts xviii. 5.
Press (v. t.) To try to force (something upon some one); to urge or inculcate with earnestness or importunity; to enforce; as, to press divine truth on an audience.
He pressed a letter upon me within this hour. -- Dryden.
Be sure to press upon him every motive. -- Addison.
Press (v. t.) To drive with violence; to hurry; to urge on; to ply hard; as, to press a horse in a race.
The posts . . . went cut, being hastened and pressed on, by the king's commandment. -- Esther viii. 14.
Note: Press differs from drive and strike in usually denoting a slow or continued application of force; whereas drive and strike denote a sudden impulse of force.
Pressed brick. See under Brick.
Press (v. i.) To exert pressure; to bear heavily; to push, crowd, or urge with steady force.
Press (v. i.) To move on with urging and crowding; to make one's way with violence or effort; to bear onward forcibly; to crowd; to throng; to encroach.
They pressed upon him for to touch him. -- Mark iii. 10.
Press (v. i.) To urge with vehemence or importunity; to exert a strong or compelling influence; as, an argument presses upon the judgment.
Press (n.) An apparatus or machine by which any substance or body is pressed, squeezed, stamped, or shaped, or by which an impression of a body is taken; sometimes, the place or building containing a press or presses.
Note: Presses are differently constructed for various purposes in the arts, their specific uses being commonly designated; as, a cotton press, a wine press, a cider press, a copying press, etc. See Drill press.
Press (n.) Specifically, a printing press.
Press (n.) The art or business of printing and publishing; hence, printed publications, taken collectively, more especially newspapers or the persons employed in writing for them; as, a free press is a blessing, a licentious press is a curse.
Press (n.) An upright case or closet for the safe keeping of articles; as, a clothes press. -- Shak.
Press (n.) The act of pressing or thronging forward.
In their throng and press to that last hold. -- Shak.
Press (n.) Urgent demands of business or affairs; urgency; as, a press of engagements.
Press (n.) A multitude of individuals crowded together; ? crowd of single things; a throng.
They
could not come nigh unto him for the press. -- Mark ii. 4.
Cylinder press, A printing press in which the impression is produced
by a revolving cylinder under which the form passes; also, one in which the
form of type or plates is curved around a cylinder, instead of resting
on a flat bed.
Hydrostatic press. See under Hydrostatic.
Liberty of the press, The free right of publishing books, pamphlets, or papers, without previous restraint or censorship, subject only to punishment for libelous, seditious, or morally pernicious matters.
Press bed, A bed that may be folded, and inclosed, in a press or closet. -- Boswell.
Press of sail, (Naut.), As much sail as the state of the wind will permit.
Press (n.) The state of demanding notice or attention; "the insistence of their hunger"; "the press of business matters" [syn: imperativeness, insistence, insistency, press, pressure].
Press (n.) The print media responsible for gathering and publishing news in the form of newspapers or magazines [syn: press, public press].
Press (n.) A machine used for printing [syn: press, printing press]
Press (n.) A dense crowd of people [syn: crush, jam, press]
Press (n.) A tall piece of furniture that provides storage space for clothes; has a door and rails or hooks for hanging clothes [syn: wardrobe, closet, press].
Press (n.) Clamp to prevent wooden rackets from warping when not in use.
Press (n.) Any machine that exerts pressure to form or shape or cut materials or extract liquids or compress solids [syn: press, mechanical press].
Press (n.)8: A weightlift in which the barbell is lifted to shoulder height and then smoothly lifted overhead [syn: press, military press].
Press (n.) The act of pressing; the exertion of pressure; "he gave the button a press"; "he used pressure to stop the bleeding"; "at the pressing of a button" [syn: press, pressure, pressing].
Press (v.) Exert pressure or force to or upon; "He pressed down on the boards"; "press your thumb on this spot."
Press (v.) Force or impel in an indicated direction; "I urged him to finish his studies" [syn: urge, urge on, press, exhort].
Press (v.) To be oppressive or burdensome; "weigh heavily on the mind", "Something pressed on his mind" [syn: weigh, press].
Press (v.) Place between two surfaces and apply weight or pressure; "pressed flowers."
Press (v.) Squeeze or press together; "she compressed her lips"; "the spasm contracted the muscle" [syn: compress, constrict, squeeze, compact, contract, press].
Press (v.) Crowd closely; "The crowds pressed along the street."
Press (v.) Create by pressing; "Press little holes into the soft clay."
Press (v.) Be urgent; "This is a pressing problem."
Press (v.) Exert oneself continuously, vigorously, or obtrusively to gain an end or engage in a crusade for a certain cause or person; be an advocate for; "The liberal party pushed for reforms"; "She is crusading for women's rights"; "The Dean is pushing for his favorite candidate" [syn: crusade, fight, press, campaign, push, agitate].
Press (v.) Press from a plastic; "press a record" [syn: press, press out].
Press (v.) Make strenuous pushing movements during birth to expel the baby; "`Now push hard,' said the doctor to the woman" [syn: press, push].
Press (v.) Press and smooth with a heated iron; "press your shirts"; "she stood there ironing" [syn: iron, iron out, press].
Press (v.) Lift weights; "This guy can press 300 pounds" [syn: weight-lift, weightlift, press].
Press (v.) Ask for or request earnestly; "The prophet bid all people to become good persons" [syn: bid, beseech, entreat, adjure, press, conjure].
Press. () By a figure this word signifies the art of printing. The press is free.
Press. () All men have a right to print and publish whatever they may deem proper, unless by doing so they infringe the rights of another, as in the case of copyrights, (q.v.) when they may be enjoined. For any injury they may commit against the public or individuals they may be punished, either by indictment, or by a civil action at the suit of the party injured, when the injury has been committed against a private individual. Vide Const. of the U. S. Amend. art. 1, and Liberty of the Press.
Presser (n.) One who, or that which, presses.
Presser bar, or Presser wheel (Knitting machine), A bar or wheel which closes the barbs of the needles to enable the loops of the yarn to pass over them.
Presser foot, The part of a sewing machine which rests on the cloth and presses it down upon the table of the machine.
Pressgang (n.) See Press gang, under Press.
Pressing (a.) Urgent; exacting; importunate; as, a pressing necessity. -- Press"ing*ly, adv.
Pressing (a.) Compelling immediate action; "too pressing to permit of longer delay"; "the urgent words `Hurry! Hurry!'"; "bridges in urgent need of repair" [syn: pressing, urgent].
Pressing (n.) The act of pressing; the exertion of pressure; "he gave the button a press"; "he used pressure to stop the bleeding"; "at the pressing of a button" [syn: press, pressure, pressing].
Pressing (n.) A metal or plastic part that is made by a mechanical press.
Pression (n.) The act of pressing; pressure. -- Sir I. Newton.
Pression (n.) (Cartesian Philos.) An endeavor to move.
Pressiroster (n.) (Zool.) One of a tribe of wading birds ({Pressirostres) including those which have a compressed beak, as the plovers.
Pressirostral (a.) (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the pressirosters.
Pressitant (a.) Gravitating; heavy. [Obs.] -- Dr. H. More.
Pressive (a.) Pressing; urgent; also, oppressive; as, pressive taxation. [R.] -- Bp. Hall.
Pressly (adv.) Closely; concisely. [Obs.]
Pressmen (n. pl. ) of Pressman.
Pressman (n.) One who manages, or attends to, a press, esp. a printing press.
Pressman (n.) One who presses clothes; as, a tailor's pressman.
Pressman (n.) One of a press gang, who aids in forcing men into the naval service; also, one forced into the service.
Pressman (n.) Someone whose occupation is printing [syn: printer, pressman].
Pressman (n.) A journalist employed to provide news stories for newspapers or broadcast media [syn: correspondent, newspaperman, newspaperwoman, newswriter, pressman].
Pressor (a.) (Physiol.) Causing, or giving rise to, pressure or to an increase of pressure; as, pressor nerve fibers, stimulation of which excites the vasomotor center, thus causing a stronger contraction of the arteries and consequently an increase of the arterial blood pressure; -- opposed to depressor. -- Landois & Stirling.
Pressor (a.) Increasing (or tending to increase) blood pressure; "pressor reflexes."
Pressor (n.) Any agent that causes a narrowing of an opening of a blood vessel: cold or stress or nicotine or epinephrine or norepinephrine or angiotensin or vasopressin or certain drugs; maintains or increases blood pressure [syn: vasoconstrictor, vasoconstrictive, pressor].
Presspack (v. t.) To pack, or prepare for packing, by means of a press.
Pressurage (n.) [F.] Pressure.
Pressurage (n.) [F.] The juice of the grape extracted by the press; also, a fee paid for the use of a wine press.
Pressure (n.) 壓，榨，按，強制,，壓力，壓迫，壓強 The act of pressing, or the condition of being pressed; compression; a squeezing; a crushing; as, a pressure of the hand.
Pressure (n.) A contrasting force or impulse of any kind; as, the pressure of poverty; the pressure of taxes; the pressure of motives on the mind; the pressure of civilization.
Where the pressure of danger was not felt. -- Macaulay.
Pressure (n.) Affliction; distress; grievance.
My people's pressures are grievous. -- Eikon Basilike.
In the midst of his great troubles and pressures. -- Atterbury.
Pressure (n.) Urgency; as, the pressure of business.
Pressure (n.) Impression; stamp; character impressed.
All saws of books, all forms, all pressures past. -- Shak.
Pressure (n.) (Mech.) The action of a force against some obstacle or opposing force; a force in the nature of a thrust, distributed over a surface, often estimated with reference to the upon a unit's area.
Pressure (n.) Electro-motive force.
Atmospheric pressure, Center of pressure, etc. See under Atmospheric, Center, etc.
Back pressure (Steam engine), Pressure which resists the motion of the piston, as the pressure of exhaust steam which does not find free outlet.
Fluid pressure, Pressure like that exerted by a fluid. It is a thrust which is normal and equally intense in all directions around a point. -- Rankine.
Pressure gauge, A gauge for indicating fluid pressure; a manometer.
Pressure (n.) The force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit); "the compressed gas exerts an increased pressure" [syn: pressure, pressure level, force per unit area].
Pressure (n.) A force that compels; "the public brought pressure to bear on the government."
Pressure (n.) The act of pressing; the exertion of pressure; "he gave the button a press"; "he used pressure to stop the bleeding"; "at the pressing of a button" [syn: press, pressure, pressing].
Pressure (n.) The state of demanding notice or attention; "the insistence of their hunger"; "the press of business matters" [syn: imperativeness, insistence, insistency, press, pressure].
Pressure (n.) The somatic sensation that results from applying force to an area of skin; "the sensitivity of his skin to pressure and temperature was normal" [syn: pressure, pressure sensation].
Pressure (n.) An oppressive condition of physical or mental or social or economic distress.
Pressure (n.) The pressure exerted by the atmosphere [syn: atmospheric pressure, air pressure, pressure].
Pressure (v.) 迫使，使增壓，密封 To cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means :"She forced him to take a job in the city"; "He squeezed her for information" [syn: {coerce}, {hale}, {squeeze}, {pressure}, {force}].
Pressure (v.) Exert pressure on someone through threats [syn: {blackmail}, {blackjack}, {pressure}].
Presswork (n.) The art of printing from the surface of type, plates, or engravings in relief, by means of a press; the work so done. -- MacKellar.
Presswork (n.) Work done on or by a press.
Presswork (n.) (Metal Work) Act or process of pressing or drawing with
dies or presses; also, the product of such work.
Presswork (n.) (Cabinetmaking) Work consisting of a series of cross-grained veneers united by glue, heat, and pressure.
Presswork (n.) Pottery produced by pressing clay into molds.
Presswork (n.) Usually Press work. The work of a press agent. [Chiefly Theat. Cant].
Prest () imp. & p. p. of Press.
Prest (a.) Ready; prompt; prepared. [Obs.]
All prest to such battle he was. -- R. of Gloucester.
Prest (a.) Neat; tidy; proper. [Obs.] -- Tusser.
Prest money, Money formerly paid to men when they enlisted into the British service; -- so called because it bound those that received it to be ready for service when called upon.
Prest (n.) Ready money; a loan
of money. [Obs.]
Requiring of the city a prest of six thousand marks. --Bacon.
Prest (n.) (Law) A duty in money formerly paid by the sheriff on his account in the exchequer, or for money left or remaining in his hands. -- Cowell.
Prest (v. t.) To give as a loan; to lend. [Obs.]
Sums of money . . . prested out in loan. -- E. Hall.
Prestable (a.) Payable. [Scot.]
Prestation (n.) (O. Eng. Law) A payment of money; a toll or duty; also, the rendering of a service. -- Burrill.
Prestation money, A sum of money paid yearly by archdeacons and other dignitaries to their bishop.
Prester (n.) A meteor or exhalation formerly supposed to be thrown from the clouds with such violence that by collision it is set on fire. [Obs.]
Prester (n.) pl. One of the veins of the neck when swollen with anger or other excitement. [Obs.]
Prester (n.) A priest or presbyter; as, Prester John. [Obs.]
Presternum (n.) [NL.] (Anat.) The anterior segment of the sternum; the manubrium. -- Pre*ster"nal, a.
Prestidigital (a.) Nimble-fingered;
having fingers fit for prestidigitation, or juggling. [R.] "His
prestidigital hand." -- Charles Reade.
Prestidigitation (n.) 變戲法
Legerdemain; sleight of hand; juggling.
Prestidigitation (n.) Manual dexterity in the execution of tricks [syn: prestidigitation, sleight of hand].
Prestidigitator (n.) 變戲法的人 One skilled in legerdemain or sleight of hand; a juggler.
Prestidigitator (n.) Someone who performs magic tricks to amuse an audience [syn: magician, prestidigitator, conjurer, conjuror, illusionist].
Prestige (n.) Delusion; illusion; trick. [Obs.]
The sophisms of infidelity, and the prestiges of imposture. -- Bp. Warburton.
Prestige (n.) 名望，聲望，威望 [U] 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.
Prestige (n.) A high standing achieved through success or influence or wealth etc.; "he wanted to achieve power and prestige" [syn: {prestige}, {prestigiousness}].
Prestigiation (n.) 變戲法 Legerdemain; prestidigitation. [Obs.]
Prestigiation (n.) (Archaic) The performance of tricks of magic or illusion.
Prestigiator (n.) A juggler; prestidigitator. [Obs.] -- Dr. H. More.
Prestigiatory (a.) Consisting of impostures; juggling. [Obs.] -- Barrow.
Prestigious (a.) Practicing tricks; juggling. [Obs.] -- Cotton Mather.
Prestigious (a.) 有名望的 Having an illustrious reputation; respected; "our esteemed leader"; "a prestigious author" [syn: {esteemed}, {honored}, {prestigious}].
Prestigious (a.) Exerting influence by reason of high status or prestige; "a prestigious professor at a prestigious university."
Prestimony (n.) (Canon Law) A fund for the support of a priest, without the title of a benefice. The patron in the collator.
Prestissimo (adv.) (Mus.) Very quickly; with great rapidity.
Prestissimo (adv.) Extremely fast; as fast as possible; "this Passage should be played prestissimo."
Prestissimo (a.) (Of tempo) As fast as possible.
Presto (a.) Quickly; immediately; in haste; suddenly.
Presto! begone! 'tis here again. -- Swift.
Presto (a.) (Mus.) Quickly; rapidly; -- a direction for a quick, lively movement or performance; quicker than allegro, or any rate of time except prestissimo.
Presto (adv.) Suddenly; "Presto! begone! 'tis here again" -- Swift.
Presto (adv.) At a very fast tempo (faster than allegro).
Presto (a.) (Of tempo) Very fast.
PRESTO, () A parallel language for shared-memory multiprocessors, built on top of C++ by Bershad et al, U Washington 1987. PRESTO provides classes for threads and spinlocks as well as Mesa-style monitors and condition variables.
["PRESTO: A Kernel for Parallel Programming Environments." B.N. Bershad et al, U Wash CS TR, Jan 1987].
Prestriction (n.) Obstruction, dimness, or defect of sight. [Obs.] -- Milton.
Presultor (n.) A leader in the dance. [R.]
Presumable (a.) Such as may be presumed or supposed to be true; that seems entitled to belief without direct evidence.
Presumable (a.) Capable of being inferred on slight grounds [syn: presumable, supposable, surmisable].
Presumably (adv.) In a presumable manner; by, or according to, presumption.
Presumably (adv.) By reasonable assumption; "presumably, he missed the train" [syn: presumably, presumptively].
Presumed (imp. & p. p.) of Presume.
Presuming (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Presume.
Presume (v. t.) 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.
Presume (v. t.) 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 (v. i.) 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.
Presume (v. i.) 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.
Presume (v.) Take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof; "I assume his train was late" [syn: assume, presume, take for granted].
Presume (v.) Take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission; "How dare you call my lawyer?" [syn: make bold, dare, presume].
Presume (v.) Constitute reasonable evidence for; "A restaurant bill resumes the consumption of food."
Presume (v.) Take liberties or act with too much confidence.
Presumedly (adv.) By presumption.
Presumer (n.) One who presumes; also, an arrogant person. -- Sir H. Wotton.
Presumingly (adv.) Confidently; arrogantly.
Presumption (n.) 冒昧；放肆；自以為是；傲慢 [U]；推測；假定，設想 [C] [U] [+（that）]；推測的理由（或根據）[C] [U] The act of presuming, or believing upon probable evidence; the act of assuming or taking for granted; belief upon incomplete proof.
Presumption (n.) Ground for presuming; evidence probable, but not conclusive; strong probability; reasonable supposition; as, the presumption is that an event has taken place.
Presumption (n.) 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.
Presumption (n.) 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.
Presumption (n.) An assumption that is taken for granted [syn: {given}, {presumption}, {precondition}].
Presumption (n.) (Law) An inference of the truth of a fact from other facts proved or admitted or judicially noticed.
Presumption (n.) Audacious (even arrogant) behavior that you have no right to; "he despised them for their presumptuousness" [syn: {presumption}, {presumptuousness}, {effrontery}, {assumption}].
Presumption (n.) A kind of discourtesy in the form of an act of presuming; "his presumption was intolerable".
Presumption (n.), Evidence. An inference as to the existence of one fact, from the existence of some other fact, founded on a previous experience of their connexion. 3 Stark. Ev. 1234; 1 Phil. Ev. 116; Gilb. Ev. 142; Poth. Tr. des. Ob. part. 4, c. 3, s. 2, n. 840. Or it, is an opinion, which circumstances, give rise to, relative to a matter of fact, which they are supposed to attend. Menthuel sur les Conventions, liv. 1, tit. 5.
Presumption (n.) To constitute such a presumption, a previous experience of the connexion between the known and inferred facts is essential, of such a nature that as soon as the existence of the one is established, admitted or assumed, an inference as to the existence of the other arises, independently of any reasoning upon the subject. It follows that an inference may be certain or not certain, but merely, probable, and therefore capable of being rebutted by contrary proof.
Presumption (n.) In general a presumption is more or less strong according as the fact presumed is a necessary, usual or infrequent consequence of the fact or facts seen, known, or proven. When the fact inferred is the necessary consequence of the fact or facts known, the presumption amounts to a proof when it is the usual, but not invariable consequence, the presumption is weak; but when it is sometimes, although rarely,the consequence of the fact or facts known, the presumption is of no weight. Menthuel sur les Conventions, tit. 5. See Domat, liv. 9, tit. 6 Dig. de probationibus et praesumptionibus.
Presumption (n.) Presumptions are either legal and artificial, or natural.
Presumption (n.) Legal or artificial presumptions are such as derive from the law a technical or artificial, operation and effect, beyond their mere natural. tendency to produce belief, and operate uniformly, without applying the process of reasoning on which they are founded, to the circumstances of the particular case. For instance, at the expiration of twenty years, without payment of interest on a bond, or other acknowledgment of its existence, satisfaction is to be presumed; but if a single day less than twenty years has elapsed, the presumption of satisfaction from mere lapse of time, does not arise; this is evidently an artificial and arbitrary distinction. 4 Greenl. 270; 10 John. R. 338; 9 Cowen, R. 653; 2 McCord, R. 439; 4 Burr. 1963; Lofft, 320; 1 T. R. 271; 6 East, R. 215; 1 Campb. R. 29. An example of another nature is given under this head by the civilians. If a mother and her infant at the breast perish in the same conflagration, the law presumes that the mother survived, and that the infant perished first, on account of its weakness, and on this ground the succession belongs to the heirs of the mother. See Death, 9 to 14.
Presumption (n.) Legal presumptions are of two kinds: first, such as are made by the law itself, or presumptions of mere law; secondly, such as are to be made by a jury, or presumptions of law and fact.
Presumption (n.) Presumptions of mere law, are either absolute and conclusive; as, for instance, the presumption of law that a bond or other specialty was executed upon a good consideration, cannot be rebutted by evidence, so long as the instrument is not impeached for fraud; 4 Burr. 2225; or they are not absolute, and may be rebutted evidence; for example, the law presumes that a bill of exchange was accepted on a good consideration, but that presumption may be rebutted by proof to the contrary.
Presumption (n.) Presumptions of law and fact are such artificial presumptions as are recognized and warranted by the law as the proper inferences to be made by juries under particular circumstances; for instance, au unqualified refusal to deliver up the goods on demand made by the owner, does not fall within any definition of a conversion, but inasmuch as the detention is attended with all the evils of a conversion to the owner, the law makes it, in its effects and consequences, equivalent to a conversion, by directing or advising the jury to infer a conversion from the facts of demand and refusal.
Presumption (n.) Natural presumptions depend upon their own form and efficacy in generating belief or conviction on the mind, as derived from these connexions which are pointed out by experience; they are wholly independent of any artificial connexions and relations, and differ from mere presumptions of law in this essential respect, that those depend, or rather are a branch of the particular system of jurisprudence to which they belong; but mere natural presumptions are derived wholly by means of the common experience of mankind, from the course of nature and the ordinary habits of society.
Vide, generally, Stark. Ev. h.t.; 1 Phil. Ev. 116; Civ. Code of Lo. 2263 to 2267; 17 Vin. Ab. 567; 12 Id. 124; 1 Supp. to Ves. jr. 37, 188, 489; 2 Id. 51, 223, 442; Bac. Ab. Evidence, H; Arch. Civ. Pl. 384; Toull. Dr. Civ. Fr. liv. 3, t. 3, o. 4, s. 3; Poth. Tr. des Obl. part 4, c. 3, s. 2; Matt. on Pres.; Gresl. Eq. Ev. pt. 3, c. 4, 363; 2 Poth. Ob. by Evans, 340; 3 Bouv. Inst. n. 3058, et seq.
Presumptive (a.) 根據推定的；可據以推定的 Based on presumption or probability; grounded on probable evidence; probable; as, presumptive proof.