English dictionary — definitions & meanings

prepay

verb

To pay in advance, or beforehand

preponderance

noun

Superiority in amount or number; the bulk or majority; also, a large amount or number; an abundance, a profusion.

preponderate

verb

To outweigh; to be heavier than; to exceed in weight.

prepone

verb

To reschedule to a time earlier than the current scheduled time.

preposition

noun

A word such as in, on, at, to, from, with or by that links a noun or pronoun to the rest of the sentence, usually showing place, time, direction or relationship.

prepositus

noun

A provost: the presiding officer of various ecclesiastical bodies.

prepossessed

adj

Showing bias or partiality

prepossessing

adj

Tending to invite favor; attracting confidence, favor, esteem, or love; attractive

preposterate

verb

To reverse or turn upside down.

preposterous

adjective

Utterly absurd or unreasonable; going against common sense.

preposterously

adv

In a preposterous manner.

prepped

adj

Made ready in advance; prepared.

prepper

noun

A student at a prep school.

prepping

noun

The act of getting something or someone ready in advance.

preppy

adj

Resembling the neat, conservative style of clothing associated with private prep-school students.

prepuce

noun

The foreskin, or retractable fold of tissue covering the glans penis.

prequel

noun

A film, book or series that is made after an existing story but set at an earlier point in it, showing what happened before the original.

prerecorded

adj

Recorded in advance, as opposed to live.

prerenal

adj

Situated above the kidneys, or at the junction of the vena cava and the renal vein.

prerequisite

noun

Something that must be in place or completed before something else can happen.

prerogative

noun

An exclusive right or privilege, often one attached to a particular rank, office, or position.

Pres

adj

Informal shortening of "president," used as a title before a name.

presage

noun

A warning of a future event; an omen.

presageful

adj

Full of presages; ominous.

presbyterian

adj

Relating to a form of church government run by elected elders (presbyters) rather than bishops.

preschool

noun

A school for young children before they start primary school; a nursery school.

preschooler

noun

A child who has not yet attended school.

prescient

adj

Exhibiting or possessing prescience: having knowledge of, or seemingly able to correctly predict, events before they take place.

Prescott

name

An English surname and place name, also a city in Arizona, United States.

prescribe

verb

For a doctor or other licensed practitioner to formally order a medicine or treatment for a patient.

prescribed

adj

Set down officially as the required way of doing something; specified in detail.

prescription

noun

A doctor's written authorization for a patient to receive a particular medicine or treatment.

prescriptionist

adj

Relying on historical precedent rather than current usage (to determine rights or correctness).

prescriptive

adj

Of or pertaining to prescribing or enjoining, especially an action or behavior based on a norm or standard.

prescriptivism

noun

The practice of prescribing idealistic norms, as opposed to describing realistic forms, of linguistic usage.

prescriptivist

noun

Someone who lays down rules regarding language usage, or who believes that traditional norms of language usage should be upheld.

presence

noun

The fact or state of being in a particular place.

present

adj

Existing or happening right now; current.

presentable

adj

Tidy and suitable enough in appearance to be shown to others.

presentation

noun

A talk or demonstration given to an audience, often with visual aids.

presented

adj

Shown, offered, or displayed in a particular way.

presenter

noun

A person who hosts a television or radio programme.

presentiment

noun

A premonition; a feeling that something, often of undesirable nature, is going to happen.

presently

adv

Soon; before long.

presents

noun

Legal phrase referring to the document in which it appears ("know all men by these presents").

preservation

noun

The act of keeping something safe from harm, decay, or destruction.

preservative

noun

Any agent, natural or artificial, that acts to preserve, especially when added to food.

preserve

verb

To keep something safe from harm, damage, or decay.

preserver

noun

A person or thing that keeps something safe from harm.

preserves

noun

Fruit cooked and sealed with sugar so it keeps for a long time.

preserving

noun

The process of protecting something from decay or damage, often by canning, salting, or similar methods.

preset

adj

Set in advance, especially as a default.

preside

verb

To be in charge of and direct a meeting, ceremony, or organization.

presidency

noun

The office of president, or the period during which someone holds it.

president

noun

The elected head of state of a republic, or the head of its government.

presidente

noun

A Cuban cocktail made with rum, curaçao, dry vermouth, and grenadine, shaken or stirred with ice.

presidenthood

noun

The state, office, or condition of a president.

presidential

adj

Relating to a president or the office of president.

presidentship

noun

The office and dignity of president; presidency.

presiding

adj

Currently holding authority to direct or oversee a meeting or proceeding.

Presley

name

An English surname, most famously associated with the singer Elvis Presley.

press

verb

To push firmly against something, or push down on a button or surface.

pressed

adj

Under strain, especially from lack of time or money.

presser

noun

A person, device, or agent that presses or squeezes, as

pressing

adj

Requiring immediate attention; urgent.

pressman

noun

Someone who operates a printing press.

pressure

noun

The continuous force exerted on or against an object by something in contact with it.

pressuring

noun

The act of trying to force or persuade someone into doing something.

pressurization

noun

The act or process of increasing pressure within a volume of space.

pressurized

adj

Kept at a higher air pressure than the surroundings, usually for safety or comfort.

prest

noun

A payment of wages in advance

prestidigitator

noun

One who performs feats of prestidigitation; a sleight-of-hand artist.

prestige

noun

A widely admired reputation or status resulting from success, quality, or high standing.

prestigious

adj

Widely admired and respected because of high status, quality, or achievement.

presto

adv

A musical direction meaning very fast; also used to mean something happens suddenly, as if by magic.

Preston

name

An English surname and place name, also a city in Lancashire, England.

presumable

adj

Capable of being presumed, or being presumed as such.

presumably

adv

Used to say that something is probably true, based on the available evidence, even without direct confirmation.

presume

verb

To accept something as true or likely without direct proof.

presumed

adj

Believed to be true based on the evidence available, even though it isn't formally confirmed.

presuming

adj

Acting with more confidence or boldness than is appropriate; overstepping.

presumption

noun

Something accepted as probably true without direct proof, or the act of assuming it.

presumptive

adj

Based on presumption or conjecture; inferred, likely, presumed.

presumptively

adv

In a presumptive manner.

presumptuous

adj

Overconfident or arrogant in a way that overstepss what is appropriate or one's actual authority.

presuppose

verb

To assume some truth without proof, usually for the purpose of reaching a conclusion based on that truth.

presupposition

noun

An assumption made beforehand; a preliminary conjecture or speculation.

pretence

noun

A false show or claim, put on to disguise the truth or create a particular impression; the British spelling of "pretense".

pretend

verb

To act as if something is true or real when it isn't, in order to deceive or as part of play.

pretended

adj

Faked or put on rather than genuine.

pretender

noun

Someone who claims a right to a position, especially a throne, though the claim is often disputed.

pretending

noun

The act of imagining or acting out something that isn't real; make-believe.

pretense

noun

A false show or claim put on to create a misleading impression; the American spelling of "pretence".

pretension

noun

A claim or aspiration to a particular status or quality.

pretentious

adj

Trying too hard to seem impressive, intelligent, or important, in a way that comes across as fake or overblown.

preterite

adj

Showing an action at a determined moment in the past.

pretermit

verb

To intentionally disregard (something), to ignore; to neglect or omit.

pretext

noun

A false reason given to hide the real motive behind an action.

prettify

verb

To make pretty or prettier, to make more attractive, especially only in a superficial way.

prettiness

noun

The quality of being pretty.

pretty

adj

Attractive or pleasant to look at, especially in a delicate or charming way.

pretzel

noun

A baked bread snack, often salted, twisted into a knot or loop shape.

preussen

name

The German state of Prussia.

prevail

verb

To win out or come out on top, especially after a struggle.

prevailing

adj

Most common, widespread, or dominant at a particular time.

prevalence

noun

How common or widespread something is in a particular place or group.

prevalent

adj

Widespread or common, especially at a given time or in a given place.

prevaricate

verb

To deviate, transgress; to go astray (from).

prevarication

noun

Evasion of the truth.

prevaricator

noun

One who prevaricates.

prevene

verb

To precede (come before) or anticipate.

prevenient

adj

Relating to prevenience; antecedent; preceding; coming or happening before.

prevent

verb

To stop something from happening, or to keep someone from doing something.

preventable

adj

Capable of being prevented.

preventer

noun

One who, or that which, prevents.

preventing

verb

Stopping something from happening, or stopping someone from doing something.

prevention

noun

The act of stopping something, especially a problem or danger, before it happens.

preventive

adj

Intended to stop a problem, illness, or danger before it occurs.

preview

noun

A look at something before it is officially released or completed.

previous

adj

Coming before the current one, in time or order.

previously

adv

At an earlier time, before now or before the point being discussed.

prevision

noun

Advance knowledge; foresight.

prex

noun

A president, especially of a university.

prexy

noun

A president, especially of a college or university.

prey

noun

An animal that is hunted and eaten by another animal.

prez

noun

Alternative letter-case form of prez (“president”).

Priam

name

The legendary last king of Troy in Greek mythology.

priapic

adj

In a state of penile erection.

price

noun

The amount of money needed to buy something.

priced

adj

Having a specific price set on it.

priceless

adj

So valuable that no price could be put on it.

pricey

adj

Expensive; costing more than expected.

prichard

name

A surname from Welsh [in turn originating as a patronymic].

pricing

noun

The process of setting a price, or the price level chosen.

prick

noun

A small puncture or the sharp sensation caused by one.

pricked

adj

Punctured by a small sharp point.

pricker

noun

One who pricks.

prickhead

noun

A jerk; a mean or rude person.

pricking

noun

The act of piercing something with a sharp point, or the stinging sensation this causes.

prickle

noun

A sharp and often small point, especially that of a plant; a thorn.

prickling

noun

A sensation that prickles.

prickly

adj

Covered with small sharp points or thorns.

prickteaser

noun

A seductive woman, especially one who does not deliver what she promises.

prickwad

noun

A rude, obnoxious, or annoying person.

pride

noun

A feeling of deep satisfaction or pleasure from one's own achievements, or those of someone close to you.

prideful

adj

Full of pride, especially in an excessive or boastful way.

priest

noun

A person trained and ordained to lead religious services and rites in a church or temple.

priestess

noun

A woman who holds religious duties and authority within a faith or cult.

priesthood

noun

The office, role, or status of being a priest.

priestliness

noun

The quality or state of being like a priest.