Part 545

Sir William Crispyn with the duke was led Together prisoned.

Robert of Brunne.

Pris"on*er (?), n. [F. prisonnier.] 1. One who is confined in a prison. Piers Plowman.

2. A person under arrest, or in custody, whether in prison or not; a person held in involuntary restraint; a captive; as, a prisoner at the bar of a court. Bouvier.

Prisoner of Hope thou art, -- look up and sing.

Keble.

Prisoner's base. See Base, n., 24.

Pris"on*ment (?), n. Imprisonment. [Obs.] Shak.

Pris"tin*ate (?), a. Pristine; primitive. [Obs.] "Pristinate idolatry." Holinshed.

Pris"tine (?), a. [L. pristinus, akin to prior: cf. F. pristin. See Prior, a.] Belonging to the earliest period or state; original; primitive; primeval; as, the pristine state of innocence; the pristine manners of a people; pristine vigor.

Pritch (?), n. [See Prick.] 1. A sharp-pointed instrument; also, an eelspear. [Prov. Eng.]

2. Pique; offense. [Obs.] D. Rogers.

Pritch"el (?), n. A tool employed by blacksmiths for punching or enlarging the nail holes in a horseshoe.

Prith"ee (?), interj. A corruption of pray thee; as, I prithee; generally used without I. Shak.

What was that scream for, I prithee?

L'Estrange.

Prithee, tell me, Dimple-chin.

E. C. Stedman.

Prit"tle-prat`tle (?), n. [See Prattle.] Empty talk; trifling loquacity; prattle; -- used in contempt or ridicule. [Colloq.] Abp. Bramhall.

Pri"va*cy (?), n.; pl. Privacies (#). [See Private.] 1. The state of being in retirement from the company or observation of others; seclusion.

2. A place of seclusion from company or observation; retreat; solitude; retirement.

Her sacred privacies all open lie.

Rowe.

3. Concealment of what is said or done. Shak.

4. A private matter; a secret. Fuller.

5. See Privity, 2. [Obs.] Arbuthnot.

Pri*va"do (?), n. [Sp., fr. L. privatus. See Private.] A private friend; a confidential friend; a confidant. [Obs.] Fuller.

Pri"vate (?; 48), a. [L. privatus apart from the state, peculiar to an individual, private, properly p. p. of privare to bereave, deprive, originally, to separate, fr. privus single, private, perhaps originally, put forward (hence, alone, single) and akin to prae before. See Prior, a., and cf. Deprive, Privy, a.] 1. Belonging to, or concerning, an individual person, company, or interest; peculiar to one's self; unconnected with others; personal; one's own; not public; not general; separate; as, a man's private opinion; private property; a private purse; private expenses or interests; a private secretary.