Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PREST, a. [Old Fr. prest or preste, now prêt, prét or preste; Sp. and It. presto, from L. præsto, to stand before or forward; præ and sto.]

1. Ready; prompt. [Obs.] – Fairfax.
2. Neat; tight. [Obs.] – Tusser.

PREST, n. [Fr. prêt, supra.]

1. A loan. [Obs.] – Bacon.
2. Formerly, a duty in money, to be paid by the sherif on his account in the exchequer, or for money left or remaining in his hands. – 2 and 3 Edw. VI.

PREST, v. [sometimes used for Pressed. See Press.]

PRES-TA'TION, n. [L. præstatio.]

Formerly, a payment of money; sometimes used for purveyance. – Encyc.

PRES-TA'TION-MON-EY, n.

A sum of money paid yearly by archdeacons and other dignitaries to their bishop, pro exteriore jurisdictione. – Encyc.

PRES'TER, n. [Gr. πρηστηρ, from πρηθω, to kindle or inflame.]

1. A meteor thrown from the clouds with such violence, that by collision it is set on fire. – Encyc.
2. The external part of the neck, which swells when a person is angry. – Encyc.

PRES'TI-GES, n. [L. præstigiæ.]

Juggling tricks; impostures. – Dict.

PRES-TIG-I-A'TION, n. [L. præstigiæ, tricks.]

The playing of legerdemain tricks; a juggling. – Dict.

PRES-TIG-I-A'TOR, n.

A juggler; a cheat. – More.

PRES-TIG'I-A-TO-RY, a.

Jiggling; consisting of impostures.

PRES-TIG'I-OUS, a.

Practicing tricks; juggling. – Bale.

PRES'TI-MO-NY, n. [Port. and Sp. prestimonio; L. præsto, to supply; præ and sto.]

In canon law, a fund for the support of a priest, appropriated by the founder, but not erected into any title of benefice, and not subject to the pope or the ordinary, but of which the patron is the collator. – Port. Dict. Encyc. But in a Spanish Dictionary thus defined, “a prebend for the maintenance of poor clergymen, on condition of their saying prayers at certain stated times.”

PRESTISSIMO, adv. [Prestissimo.]

In music, very quick.

PREST'-MON-EY, n.

Money paid to men impressed into the service. – Encyc.

PRES'TO, adv. [Sp. and It. presto, quick or quickly; L. præsto.]

1. In music, a direction for a quick lively movement or performance.
2. Quickly; immediately; in haste. – Swift.

PRE-STRIC'TION, n. [L. præstringo, præstrictus.]

Dimness. – Milton.

PRE-SUM-A-BLE, a. [s as z. from presume.]

That may, be presumed; that may be supposed to be true or entitled to belief, without examination or direct evidence, or on probable evidence.

PRE-SUM-A-BLY, adv.

By presuming or supposing some thing to be true, without direct proof. – Brown.

PRE-SUME', v.i.

1. To venture without positive permission; as, we may presume too far. – Bacon.
2. To form confident or arrogant opinions; with on or upon, before the cause of confidence. This man presumes upon his parts. – Locke. I will not presume so far upon myself. – Dryden.
3. To make confident or arrogant attempts. In that we presume to see what is meet and convenient, better than God himself. – Hooker.
4. It has on or upon sometimes before the thing supposed. Luther presumes upon the gift of continency. – Atterbury. It is sometimes followed by of, but improperly.

PRE-SUME, v.t. [s as z. Fr. presumer; It. presumere; Sp. presumir; from L. præsumo; præ, before, and sumo, to take.]

To take or suppose to be true or entitled to belief, without examination or positive proof, or on the strength of probability. We presume that a man is honest, who has not been known to cheat or deceive; but in this we are sometimes mistaken. In many cases, the law presumes full payment where positive evidence of it can not be produced. We not only presume it may be so, but we actually find it so. – Gov. of the Tongue. In cases of implied contracts, the law presumes that a man has covenanted or contracted to do what reason and justice dictate. – Blackstone.

PRE-SUM-ED, pp.

Supposed or taken to be true, or entitled to belief, without positive proof.

PRE-SUM-ER, n.

One that presumes; also, an arrogant person. – Wotton.

PRE-SUM-ING, ppr.

1. Taking as true, or supposing to be entitled to belief, on probable evidence.
2. adj. Venturing without positive permission; too confident; arrogant; unreasonably bold.

PRE-SUM'ING-LY, adv.

Confidently; arrogantly.

PRE-SUMP'TION, n. [Fr. presomption; L. præsumptio.]

1. Supposition of the truth or real existence of something without direct or positive proof of the fact, but grounded on circumstantial or probable evidence which entitles it to belief. Presumption in law is of three sorts, violent or strong, probable and light. Next to positive proof, circumstantial evidence or the doctrine of presumptions most take place; for when the fact can not be demonstratively evinced, that which comes nearest to the proof of the fact is the proof of such circumstances as either necessarily or usually attend such facts. These are called presumptions. Violent presumption is many times equal to full proof. Blackstone.
2. Strong probability; as in the common phrase, the presumption is that an event has taken place, or will take place.
3. Blind or headstrong confidence; unreasonable adventurousness; a venturing to undertake something without reasonable prospect of success, or against the usual probabilities of safety; presumptuousness. Let my presumption not provoke thy wrath. – Shak. I had the presumption to dedicate to you a very unfinished piece. – Dryden.
4. Arrogance. He had the presumption to attempt to dictate to the council.
5. Unreasonable confidence in divine favor. The awe of his majesty will keep us from presumption. – Rogers.