Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PRE-TER-PLU-PER'FECT, a. [L. præter, beyond, plus, more, and perfectus, perfect.]

Literally, beyond more than perfect; an epithet designating, the tense of verbs which expresses action or being past prior to another pant event or time; better denominated the prior past tense, that is, put prior to another event.