2. (Presbyterian Ch.) A judicatory consisting of all the ministers within a certain district, and one layman,
who is a ruling elder, from each parish or church, commissioned to represent the church in conjunction
with the pastor. This body has a general jurisdiction over the churches under its care, and next below
the provincial synod in authority.
3. The Presbyterian religion of polity. [R.] Tatler.
4. (a) (Arch.) That part of the church reserved for the officiating priest. (b) The residence of a priest
or clergyman. Gwilt.
Presbytia
(||Pres*byt"i*a) n. [NL. See Presbyte.] (Med.) Presbyopia.
Presbytic
(Pres*byt"ic) a. (Med.) Same as Presbyopic.
Presbytism
(Pres"byt*ism) n. Presbyopia.
Prescapula
(||Pre*scap"u*la) n. [NL.] (Anat.) The part of the scapula in front of, or above, the spine, or
mesoscapula.
Prescapular
(Pre*scap"u*lar) a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the prescapula; supraspinous.
Prescience
(Pre"sci*ence) (pre"shi*ens or - shens; 277), n. [F. prescience, L. praescientia. See Prescient.]
Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight.
God's certain prescience of the volitions of moral agents.
J. Edwards.
Prescient
(Pre"sci*ent) (pre"shi*ent or - shent), a. [L. praesciens, - entis, p. pr. of praescire to foreknow;
prae before + scire to know: cf. F. prescient. See Science.] Having knowledge of coming events; foreseeing; conscious
beforehand. Pope.
Henry . . . had shown himself sensible, and almost prescient, of this event.
Bacon. Presciently
(Pre"sci*ent*ly), adv. With prescience or foresight.
Prescind
(Pre*scind") v. t. [L. praescindere to cut off in front; prae before + scindere to cut asunder: cf.
F. prescinder.]
1. To cut off; to abstract. [Obs.] Norris.
2. (Metaph.) To consider by a separate act of attention or analysis. Sir W. Hamilton.
Prescindent
(Pre*scind"ent) a. [L. praescius; prae before + scius knowing, fr. scire to know.] Cutting
off; abstracting. [R.] Cheyne.
Prescious
(Pre"scious) a. [L. praescius; prae before + scius knowing, fr. scire to know.] Foreknowing; having
foreknowledge; as, prescious of ills. [R.] Dryden.
Prescribe
(Pre*scribe") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prescribed ; p. pr & vb. n. Prescribing.] [L. praescribere,
praescriptum; prae before + scriebe to write. See Scribe.]
1. To lay down authoritatively as a guide, direction, or rule of action; to impose as a peremptory order; to
dictate; to appoint; to direct.
Prescribe not us our duties.
Shak.
Let streams prescribe their fountains where to run.
Dryden.
