Preteritness
(Pret"er*it*ness) n. The quality or state of being past. Bentley. Lowell.
Preterlapsed
(Pre`ter*lapsed") a. [L. praeterlapsus, p. p. of praeterlabi to glide by. See Preter-, Lapse.]
Past; as, preterlapsed ages. [R.] Glanvill.
Preterlegal
(Pre`ter*le"gal) a. [Pref. preter- + legal.] Exceeding the limits of law. [R.]
Pretermission
(Pre`ter*mis"sion) n. [L. praetermissio. See Pretermit.]
1. The act of passing by or omitting; omission. Milton.
2. (Rhet.) See Preterition.
Pretermit
(Pre`ter*mit") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pretermitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Pretermitting.] [L. praetermittere,
praetermissum; praeter beyond + mittere to send. See Mission.] To pass by; to omit; to disregard.
Bacon.
Preternatural
(Pre`ter*nat"u*ral) a. [Pref. preter + natural.] Beyond of different from what is natural,
or according to the regular course of things, but not clearly supernatural or miraculous; strange; inexplicable; extraordinary; uncommon; irregular; abnormal; as,
a preternatural appearance; a preternatural stillness; a preternatural presentation (in childbirth) or labor.
This vile and preternatural temper of mind.
South. Syn. — See Supernatural.
Preternaturalism
(Pre`ter*nat"u*ral*ism) n. The state of being preternatural; a preternatural condition.
Preternaturality
(Pre`ter*nat`u*ral"i*ty) n. Preternaturalness. [R.] Dr. John Smith.
Preternaturally
(Pre`ter*nat"u*ral*ly) adv. In a preternatural manner or degree. Bacon.
Preternaturalness
(Pre`ter*nat"u*ral*ness), n. The quality or state of being preternatural.
Preterperfect
(Pre`ter*per"fect) a. & n. [Pref. preter- + perfect.] (Gram.) Old name of the tense also
called preterit.
Preterpluperfect
(Pre`ter*plu"per`fect) a. & n. [Pref. preter- + pluperfect.] (Gram.) Old name of the
tense also called pluperfect.
Pretertiary
(Pre*ter"ti*a*ry) a. (Geol.) Earlier than Tertiary.
Pretervection
(Pre`ter*vec"tion) n. [L. praetervectio, fr. praetervehere to carry beyond. See Invection.]
The act of carrying past or beyond. [R.] Abp. Potter.
Pretex
(Pre*tex") v. t. [L. praetexere. See Pretext.] To frame; to devise; to disguise or excuse; hence,
to pretend; to declare falsely. [Obs.]
Pretext
(Pre"text) n. [F. prétexte, L. praetextum, fr. praetextus, p. p. of praetexere to weave before,
allege as an excuse; prae before + texere to weave. See Text.] Ostensible reason or motive assigned
or assumed as a color or cover for the real reason or motive; pretense; disguise.
They suck the blood of those they depend on, under a pretext of service and kindness.
L'Estrange.
With how much or how little pretext of reason.
Dr. H. More. Syn. — Pretense; excuse; semblance; disguise; appearance. See Pretense.
