Prejudice, prej′ū-dis, n. a judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without due examination: a prejudgment: unreasonable prepossession for or against anything: bias: injury or wrong of any kind: disadvantage: mischief.—v.t. to fill with prejudice: to cause a prejudice against: to prepossess: to bias the mind of: to injure or hurt.—adj. Prejudi′cial, causing prejudice or injury: disadvantageous: injurious: mischievous: tending to obstruct.—adv. Prejudi′cially.—n. Prejudi′cialness. [O. Fr.,—L. præjudicium—præ, before, judicium, judgment.]
Preknowledge, prē-nol′ej, n. prior knowledge.
Prelate, prel′āt, n. the holder of one of those higher dignities in the church to which, of their own right, is attached a proper jurisdiction, not derived by delegation from any superior official: a church dignitary.—ns. Prel′acy, the office of a prelate: the order of bishops or the bishops collectively: church government by prelates: episcopacy; Prel′ateship.—adjs. Prelat′ic, -al, pertaining to prelates or prelacy.—adv. Prelat′ically.—v.t. and v.i. Prel′atise, to make or to become prelatical.—ns. Prel′atism, Prel′ature, prelacy: the time during which a prelate exercises authority; Prel′atist, an upholder of prelacy. [Fr. prélat—L. prelatus—præ, before, latus, borne.]
Prelect, prē-lekt′, v.i. to read before or in presence of others: to read a discourse: to lecture.—ns. Prelec′tion, a lecture or discourse read to others; Prelec′tor, one who prelects: a lecturer. [L. prælegĕre—præ, before, legĕre, lectum, to read.]
Prelibation, prē-lī-bā′shun, n. a tasting beforehand, foretaste. [L. prælibatio—præ, before, libāre, -ātum, to taste.]
Preliminary, prē-lim′in-ar-i, adj. introductory: preparatory: preceding or preparing for the main discourse or business.—n. that which precedes: introduction—used mostly in pl.—adv. Prelim′inarily. [L. præ, before, liminaris, relating to a threshold—limen, liminis, a threshold.]
Prelingual, prē-ling′gwal, adj. prior to language.
Prelude, prē-lūd′, or prel′ūd, n. the introductory movement of a musical work: a prefatory piece to an oratorio, &c.: an organ voluntary before a church service: a preface: a forerunner.—v.t. Prelude′, to play before: to preface, as an introduction.—v.i. to perform a prelude: to serve as a prelude.—adjs. Prelū′dial and Prelū′dious (rare); Prelū′sive, of the nature of a prelude: introductory.—advs. Prelū′sively; Prelū′sorily.—adj. Prelū′sory, introductory. [Fr.,—Late L. præludium—L. præ, before, ludĕre, to play.]
Premandibular, prē-man-dib′ū-lar, adj. in front of the lower jaw, as a bone of some reptiles.
Premature, prē-ma-tūr′, adj. mature before the proper time: happening before the proper time: too soon believed: unauthenticated (as a report).—adv. Prēmatūre′ly.—ns. Prematūr′ity, Prēmatūre′ness. [L. præmaturus—præ, before, maturus, ripe.]