Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PREJ'U-DICE, v.t.

1. To prepossess with unexamined opinions, or opinions formed without due knowledge of the facts and circumstances attending the question; to bias the mind by hasty and incorrect notions, and give it an unreasonable bent to one side or other of a cause. Suffer not any beloved study to prejudice your mind so far as to despise all other learning. – Watts.
2. To obstruct or injure by prejudices, or an undue previous bias of the mind; or to hurt; to damage; to diminish; to impair; in a very general sense. The advocate who attempts to prove too much, may prejudice his cause. I am not to prejudice the cause of my fellow poets, though I abandon my own defense. – Dryden.