Part 481

Pre`Î*rect" (?), v. t. To erect beforehand.

Prees (?), n. Press; throng. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Pre`Îs*tab"lish, v. t. To establish beforehand.

Pre`Îs*tab"lish*ment, n. Settlement beforehand.

Pre`Î*ter"ni*ty (?), n. Infinite previous duration. [R.] "The world's preÎternity." Cudworth.

Pre`Îx*am`i*na"tion (?), n. Previous examination.

Pre`Îx*am"ine (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. PreÎxamined (?); p. pr. & vb. n. PreÎxamining.] To examine beforehand.

Pre`Îx*ist" (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. PreÎxisted; p. pr. & vb. n. PreÎxisting.] To exist previously; to exist before something else.

Pre`Îx*ist"ence (?), n. 1. Existence in a former state, or previous to something else.

Wisdom declares her antiquity and preÎxistence to all the works of this earth.

T. Burnet.

2. Existence of the soul before its union with the body; -- a doctrine held by certain philosophers. Addison.

Pre`Îx*ist"en*cy (?), n. PreÎxistence. [Obs.]

Pre`Îx*ist"ent (?), a. Existing previously; preceding existence; as, a preÎxistent state. Pope.

Pre`Îx*ist"ent*ism (?), n. (Philos.) The theory of a preÎxistence of souls before their association with human bodies. Emerson.

Pre`Îx*is`ti*ma"tion (?), n. Previous esteem or estimation. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Pre*Îx`pec*ta"tion (?), n. Previous expectation.

Pref"ace (?; 48), n. [F. prÈface; cf. Sp. prefacio, prefacion, It. prefazio, prefazione; all fr. L. praefatio, fr. praefari to speak or say beforehand; prae before + fari, fatus, to speak. See Fate.] 1. Something spoken as introductory to a discourse, or written as introductory to a book or essay; a proem; an introduction, or series of preliminary remarks.

This superficial tale Is but a preface of her worthy praise.

Shak.

Heaven's high behest no preface needs.

Milton.

2. (R. C. Ch.) The prelude or introduction to the canon of the Mass. Addis & Arnold.

Proper preface (Ch. of Eng. & Prot. Epis. Ch.), a portion of the communion service, preceding the prayer of consecration, appointed for certain seasons.

Syn. -- Introduction; preliminary; preamble; proem; prelude; prologue.

Pref"ace, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prefaced (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Prefacing.] To introduce by a preface; to give a preface to; as, to preface a book discourse.

Pref"ace, v. i. To make a preface. Jer. Taylor.

Pref"a*cer (?), n. The writer of a preface.