Part 520

Pre*to"ri*an, n. A soldier of the pretorian guard.

||Pre*to"ri*um (?), n. [L. praetorium, fr. praetor.] 1. The general's ||tent in a Roman camp; hence, a council of war, because held in the ||general's tent.

2. The official residence of a governor of a province; hence, a place; a splendid country seat.

Pre"tor*ship (?), n. The office or dignity of a pretor. J. Warton

Pre*tor"ture (?; 135), v. t. To torture beforehand. Fuller.

Pret"ti*ly (?), adv. In a pretty manner.

Pret"ti*ness, n. The quality or state of being pretty; -- used sometimes in a disparaging sense.

A style . . . without sententious pretension or antithetical prettiness.

Jeffrey.

Pret"ty (?), a. [Compar. Prettier (?); superl. Prettiest.] [OE. prati, AS. prÊttig, prÊtig, crafty, sly, akin to prÊt, prÊtt, deceit, trickery, Icel. prettugr tricky, prettr a trick; probably fr. Latin, perhaps through Celtic; cf. W. praith act, deed, practice, LL. practica execution, practice, plot. See Practice.] 1. Pleasing by delicacy or grace; attracting, but not striking or impressing; of a pleasing and attractive form a color; having slight or diminutive beauty; neat or elegant without elevation or grandeur; pleasingly, but not grandly, conceived or expressed; as, a pretty face; a pretty flower; a pretty poem.

This is the prettiest lowborn lass that ever Ran on the greensward.

Shak.

2. Moderately large; considerable; as, he had saved a pretty fortune. "Wavering a pretty while." Evelyn.

3. Affectedly nice; foppish; -- used in an ill sense.

The pretty gentleman is the most complaisant in the world.

Spectator.

4. Mean; despicable; contemptible; -- used ironically; as, a pretty trick; a pretty fellow.

5. Stout; strong and brave; intrepid; valiant. [Scot.]

observed they were pretty men, meaning not handsome.

Sir W. Scott.

Syn. -- Elegant; neat; fine. See Handsome.

Pret"ty (?), adv. In some degree; moderately; considerably; rather; almost; -- less emphatic than very; as, I am pretty sure of the fact; pretty cold weather.

Pretty plainly professes himself a sincere Christian.

Atterbury.

Pret"ty*ish, a. Somewhat pretty. Walpole.

Pret"ty*ism (?), n. Affectation of a pretty style, manner, etc. [R.] Ed. Rev.

Pret"ty-spo`ken (?), a. Spoken or speaking prettily. [Colloq.]

Pre*typ"i*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pretypified (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Pretypifying.] To prefigure; to exhibit previously in a type. Bp. Pearson.