Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PRE-RE-SOLV'ED, pp.

Resolved beforehand; previously determined.

PRE-RE-SOLV'ING, ppr.

Resolving beforehand.

PRE-ROG'A-TIVE, n. [Fr. id.; It. prerogativo; Sp. prerogativa; prærogativa, precedence in voting; præ, before, and rogo, to ask or demand.]

An exclusive or peculiar privilege. A royal prerogative, is that special pre-eminence which a king has over all other persons, and out of the course of the common law, in right of his regal dignity. It consists in the possession of certain rights which the king may exercise to the exclusion of all participation of his subjects; for when a right or privilege is held in common with the subject, it ceases to be a prerogative. Thus the right of appointing embassadors, and of making peace and war, are, in Great Britain, royal prerogatives. The right of governing created beings is the prerogative of the Creator. It is the prerogative of the house of peers in Great Britain, to decide legal questions in the last resort. It is the prerogative of the house of commons to determine the validity of all elections of their own members. It is the prerogative of a father to govern his children. It is the prerogative of the understanding to judge and compare. In the United States, it is the prerogative of the president, with the advice of the senate, to ratify treaties.

PRE-ROG'A-TIVE-COURT, n.

In Great Britain, a court for the trial of all testamentary causes, where the deceased has left bona notobilia, or effects of the value of five pounds, in two different dioceses. In this case, the probate of the will belongs to the metropolitan or archbishop of the province, and the court where such will is proved is called the prerogative-court, as it is held by virtue of the special prerogative of the metropolitan, who appoints the judge. – Blackstone.

PRE-ROG'A-TIV-ED, a.

Having prerogative. [Little used.] – Shak.

PRE-ROG'A-TIVE-LY, adv.

By exclusive or peculiar privilege.

PRE-ROG'A-TIVE-OF-FICE, n.

The office in which the wills proved in the prerogative-court are registered. – Blackstone.

PRE'SAGE, n. [Fr.; Sp. and It. presagio; from L. præsagium; præ, before, and sagio, to perceive or foretell.]

Something which foreshows a future event; a prognostic; present fact indicating something to come. Joy and shout, presage of victory. – Milton.

PRE-SAGE, v.i.

To form or utter a prediction; with of. We may presage of heats and rains. [Not common nor elegant.] – Dryden.

PRE-SAGE, v.t.

1. To forebode; to foreshow; to indicate by some present fact what is to follow or come to pass. A fog rising from a river in an autumnal morning presages a pleasant day. A physical phenomenon can not be considered as presaging an event, unless it has some connection with it in cause. Hence the error of vulgar superstition, which presages good or evil from facts which can have no relation to the future event.
2. To foretell; to predict; to prophesy. Wish'd freedom I presage you soon will find. – Dryden.

PRE-SA'GED, pp.

Foreboded; foreshown; foretold.

PRE-SAGE-FUL, a.

Full of presages; containing presages. – Thomson.

PRE-SAGE-MENT, n.

1. A foreboding; foretoken. Wotton.
2. A foretelling; prediction.

PRE-SA'GER, n.

A foreteller; a foreshower. Shak.

PRE-SA'GING, ppr.

Foreshowing; foretelling.

PRES'BY-TA, n. [Gr. πρεσβυς, old.]

Defect of sight in old age, as supposed by some from the flatness of the eye.

PRES'BY-TER, n. [Gr. πρεσβυτερος, from πρεσβυς, old, elder.]

1. In the primitive Christian church, an elder; a person somewhat advanced in age, who had authority in the church, and whose duty was to feed the flock over which the Holy Spirit had made him overseer.
2. A priest; a person who has the pastoral charge of a particular church and congregation; called in the Saxon laws, mass-priest. – Hooker.
3. A presbyterian. – Butler.

PRES-BYT'ER-ATE, n.

Presbytery. – Heber.

PRES-BY-TE'RI-AL, or PRES-BY-TE'RI-AN, a.

1. Pertaining to a presbyter, or to ecclesiastical government by presbyters.
2. Consisting of presbyters; as, presbyterian government. The government of the church of Scotland is presbyterian.

PRES-BY-TE'RI-AN, n.

1. One that maintains the validity of ordination and government by presbyters.
2. One that belongs to a church governed by presbyters.

PRES-BY-TE'RI-AN-ISM, n.

The doctrines, principles and discipline or government of presbyterians. – Addison.

PRES'BY-TER-Y, n.

1. A body of elders in the Christian church. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. – 1 Tim iv.
2. In ecclesiastical government, a judicatory consisting of all the pastors of churches within a certain district, and one ruling elder, a layman, from each parish, commissioned to represent the parish in conjunction with the minister. This body receives appeals from the kirk-session, and appeals from the presbytery may be carried to the provincial synod. – Encyc. Scotland. The presbytery of the churches in the United States is composed in a manner nearly similar.
3. The presbyterian religion. – Tatler.

PRE-SCIENCE, n. [presi'ence or pre'shens; Low L. præscientia; præ, before, and scientia, knowledge; Fr. prescience; It. prescienza. The common pronunciation of this word pre'shens, obscures the sense.]

Foreknowledge; knowledge of events before they take place. Absolute prescience belongs to God only. Of things of the most accidental and mutable nature, God's prescience is certain. – South.

PRE-SCIENT, a. [presi'ent or pre'shent.]

Foreknowing; having knowledge of events before they take place. Who taught the nations of the field and wood, / Prescient, the tides or tempests to withstand? – Pope.

PRE-SCIND', v.t. [L. præscindo; præ and scindo, to cut.]

To cut off; to abstract. [Little used.] Norris.