Præ-. See Pre-.
Præmunire, Premunire, prē-mū-nī′re, n. the offence of disregard or contempt of the king and his government, especially the offence of introducing papal or other foreign authority into England: the writ founded on such an offence: the penalty incurred by the offence. [A corr. of L. præmonēre, to cite.]
Prænomen, prē-nō′men, n. the name prefixed to the family name in ancient Rome, as Caius in Caius Julius Cæsar: the generic name in zoology put before the specific name.
Prætexta, prē-teks′ta, n. the outer garment, bordered with purple, worn at Rome by the higher magistrates and by free-born children till they assumed the toga virilis. [L., prætexĕre, to fringe.]
Prætor, Pretor, prē′tor, n. a magistrate of ancient Rome, next in rank to the consuls.—adjs. Prætō′rial, Pretō′rial, Prætō′rian, Pretō′rian, pertaining to a prætor or magistrate: authorised or exercised by the prætor: judicial.—ns. Prætō′rium, Pretō′rium, the official residence of the Roman prætor, proconsul, or governor in a province: the general's tent in a camp: the council of officers who attended the general and met in his tent; Præ′torship.—Prætorian band of guard, the bodyguard of the Roman Emperor; Prætorian gate, the gate of a Roman camp directly in front of the general's tent, and nearest to the enemy. [L. prætor, for præitor—præ, before, īre, itum, to go.]
Pragmatic, -al, prag-mat′ik, -al, adj. of or pertaining to public business: skilled in affairs: active: practical: interfering with the affairs of others: officious: meddlesome: self-important.—n. Pragmat′ic, a man of business, a busybody: a public decree.—adv. Pragmat′ically.—ns. Pragmat′icalness, Prag′matism, activity: earnestness: meddlesomeness; Prag′matist.—Pragmatic method, a method of treating events with reference to their causes, conditions, and results—also called Prag′matism; Pragmatic sanction, a special decree issued by a sovereign, such as that passed by the Emperor Charles VI. of Germany, securing the crown to Maria Theresa, and which led to the war so called in 1741. [Fr.,—L.,—Gr. pragmatikos—pragma—pragmatos, deed—prassein, to do.]
Prairie, prā′ri, n. an extensive meadow or tract of land, level or rolling, without trees, and covered with tall coarse grass.—adj. Prai′ried.—ns. Prai′rie-dog, a small gregarious North American marmot; Prai′rie-hawk, the American sparrow-hawk; Prai′rie-hen, a gallinaceous North American bird: the sharp-tailed grouse; Prai′rie-war′bler, an American warbler, yellow with black spots; Prai′rie-wolf, the coyote. [Fr.,—Low L. prataria, meadow-land—L. pratum, a meadow.]
Praise, prāz, n. the expression of the honour or value in which any person or thing is held: commendation on account of excellence or beauty: tribute of gratitude: a glorifying, as of God in worship: reason or ground of praise.—v.t. to express estimation of: to commend: to honour: to glorify, as in worship.—n. Prais′er, one who praises.—adv. Praise′worthily.—n. Praise′worthiness.—adj. Praise′worthy, worthy of praise: commendable. [O. Fr. preis (Fr. prix)—L. pretium, price.]
Prâkrit, prä′krit, n. the collective name of those languages or dialects which are immediately derived from, or stand in an immediate relation to, Sanskrit.—adj. Prâkrit′ic. [Sans. prākrita, the natural—prakriti, nature.]
Pram, präm, n. a flat-bottomed Dutch lighter: a barge fitted as a floating battery. [Dut. praam.]