Part 274

Ant"-bear` (&?;), n. (Zoöl.) An edentate animal of tropical America (the Tamanoir), living on ants. It belongs to the genus Myrmecophaga.

Ant" bird (&?;), (Zoöl.) See Ant bird, under Ant, n.

Ant"-cat`tle (&?;), n. pl. (Zoöl.) Various kinds of plant lice or aphids tended by ants for the sake of the honeydew which they secrete. See Aphips.

An"te- (n"t-). A Latin preposition and prefix; akin to Gr. 'anti`, Skr. anti, Goth. and-, anda- (only in comp.), AS. and-, ond-, (only in comp.: cf. Answer, Along), G. ant-, ent- (in comp.). The Latin ante is generally used in the sense of before, in regard to position, order, or time, and the Gr. 'anti` in that of opposite, or in the place of.

An"te, n. (Poker Playing) Each player's stake, which is put into the pool before (ante) the game begins.

An"te, v. t. & i. To put up (an ante).

An"te*act` (&?;), n. A preceding act.

An"te*al (&?;), a. [antea, ante, before. Cf. Ancient.] Being before, or in front. [R.] J. Fleming.

Ant"-eat`er (&?;), n. (Zoöl.) One of several species of edentates and monotremes that feed upon ants. See Ant-bear, Pangolin, Aard-vark, and Echidna.

An`te*ce*da"ne*ous (&?;), a. [See Antecede.] Antecedent; preceding in time. "Capable of antecedaneous proof." Barrow.

An`te*cede" (&?;), v. t. & i. [L. antecedere; ante + cedere to go. See Cede.] To go before in time or place; to precede; to surpass. Sir M. Hale.

An`te*ced"ence (&?;), n. 1. The act or state of going before in time; precedence. H. Spenser.

2. (Astron.) An apparent motion of a planet toward the west; retrogradation.

An`te*ced"en*cy (&?;), n. The state or condition of being antecedent; priority. Fothherby.

An`te*ced"ent (&?;), a. [L. antecedens, -entis, p. pr. of antecedere: cf. F. antécédent.] 1. Going before in time; prior; anterior; preceding; as, an event antecedent to the Deluge; an antecedent cause.

2. Presumptive; as, an antecedent improbability.

Syn. -- Prior; previous; foregoing.

An`te*ced"ent, n. [Cf. F. antécédent.] 1. That which goes before in time; that which precedes. South.

The Homeric mythology, as well as the Homeric language, has surely its antecedents. Max Miller.

2. One who precedes or goes in front. [Obs.]

My antecedent, or my gentleman usher. Massinger.

3. pl. The earlier events of one's life; previous principles, conduct, course, history. J. H. Newman.

If the troops . . . prove worthy of their antecedents, the victory is surely ours. Gen. G. McClellan.

4. (Gram.) The noun to which a relative refers; as, in the sentence "Solomon was the prince who built the temple," prince is the antecedent of who.

5. (Logic) (a) The first or conditional part of a hypothetical proposition; as, If the earth is fixed, the sun must move. (b) The first of the two propositions which constitute an enthymeme or contracted syllogism; as, Every man is mortal; therefore the king must die.

6. (Math.) The first of the two terms of a ratio; the first or third of the four terms of a proportion. In the ratio a:b, a is the antecedent, and b the consequent.

An`te*ced"ent*ly (&?;), adv. Previously; before in time; at a time preceding; as, antecedently to conversion. Barrow.

An`te*ces"sor (&?;), n. [L., fr. antecedere, antecessum. See Antecede, Ancestor.] 1. One who goes before; a predecessor.