Chapter Prevailing to Prick of P by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

Preventive service

, the duty performed by the armed police in guarding the coast against smuggling. [Eng]

Preventive
(Pre*vent"ive), n. That which prevents, hinders, or obstructs; that which intercepts access; in medicine, something to prevent disease; a prophylactic.

Preventively
(Pre*vent"ive*ly), adv. In a preventive manner.

Prevertebral
(Pre*ver"te*bral) a. (Anat.) Situated immediately in front, or on the ventral side, of the vertebral column; prespinal.

Previous
(Pre"vi*ous) a. [L. praevius going before, leading the way; prae before + via the way. See Voyage.] Going before in time; being or happening before something else; antecedent; prior; as, previous arrangements; a previous illness.

The dull sound . . . previous to the storm,
Rolls o'er the muttering earth.

Thomson.

Previous question. (Parliamentary Practice) See under Question, and compare Closure. — Previous to, before; — often used adverbially for previously. "Previous to publication." M. Arnold. "A policy . . . his friends had advised previous to 1710." J. H. Newman.

Syn. — Antecedent; preceding; anterior; prior; foregoing; former.

Previously
(Pre"vi*ous*ly), adv. Beforehand; antecedently; as, a plan previously formed.

Previousness
(Pre"vi*ous*ness), n. The quality or state of being previous; priority or antecedence in time.

Previse
(Pre*vise") v. t. [L. praevisus, p. p. of praevidere to foresee; prae before + videre to see. See Vision.]

1. To foresee. [R.]

2. To inform beforehand; to warn. Ld. Lytton.

Prevision
(Pre*vi"sion) n. [Cf. F. prévision.] Foresight; foreknowledge; prescience. H. Spencer.

Prevoyant
(Pre*voy"ant) a. [F. prévoyant.] Foreseeing; prescient. [R.] Mrs. Oliphant.

Prewarn
(Pre*warn") v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Prewarned ; p. pr. & vb. n. Prewarning.] To warn beforehand; to forewarn. [R.]

Prey
(Prey) n. [OF. preie, F. proie, L. praeda, probably for praeheda. See Prehensile, and cf. Depredate, Predatory.] Anything, as goods, etc., taken or got by violence; anything taken by force from an enemy in war; spoil; booty; plunder.

And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and Eleazar the priest.

Num. xxxi. 12.

2. That which is or may be seized by animals or birds to be devoured; hence, a person given up as a victim.

The old lion perisheth for lack of prey.

Job iv. ii.

Already sees herself the monster's prey.

Dryden.