Presignify, prē-sig′ni-fī, v.t. to signify beforehand.—n. Prēsignificā′tion, the act of showing beforehand.
Press, pres, v.t. to push on or against with a heavy weight or with great force: to squeeze out, as juice: to clasp or embrace: to bear heavily on: to distress: to urge strongly: to present to the mind with earnestness: to lay stress upon: to hurry on with great speed: to shape or smooth by the application of weight.—v.i. to exert pressure: to push with force: to crowd: to go forward with violence: to urge with vehemence and importunity: to exert a strong influence.—n. Press′er.—adj. Press′ing, urgent: importunate: forcible.—adv. Press′ingly.—n. Pres′sion. [Fr. presser—L. pressāre—premĕre, pressum, to squeeze.]
Press, pres, n. an instrument for squeezing bodies: a printing-machine: the art or business of printing and publishing: act of urging forward: urgency: strong demand: a crowd: a closet for holding articles.—ns. Press′-bed, a bed enclosed in a cupboard, or folding up into it; Press′fat (B.), the vat of an olive or wine press for collecting the liquor; Press′man, one who works a printing-press: a journalist or reporter: a member of a pressgang; Press′mark, a mark upon a book to show its place among others in a library; Press′-room, a room where printing-presses are worked; Press′-work, the operation of taking impressions from type or plates by means of the printing-press.—Press of sail, as much sail as can be carried.—Brahmah press, a hydraulic press called after Mr Brahmah, its inventor; Cylinder press, a printing-press in which the types are laid on a cylinder which revolves, instead of on a flat surface; Hydraulic press (see Hydraulic); Liberty of the press, the right of publishing books, &c., without submitting them to a government authority for permission; The Press, the literature of a country, esp. its newspapers.
Press, pres, v.t. to carry men off by violence to become soldiers or sailors.—ns. Press′gang, a gang or body of sailors under an officer empowered to impress men into the navy; Press′-mon′ey (for prest-money), earnest-money. [Corr. from old form prest, from O. Fr. prester (Fr. prêter), to lend—præstāre, to offer—præ, before, stāre, to stand.]
Pressiroster, pres-si-ros′tėr, n. one of a tribe of wading birds, the Pressiros′tres, having a flattened beak.—adj. Pressiros′tral. [L. pressus, pa.p. of premĕre, to press, rostrum, a beak.]
Pressure, presh′ūr, n. act of pressing or squeezing: the state of being pressed: impulse: constraining force or influence: that which presses or afflicts: difficulties: urgency: strong demand: (physics) the action of force on something resisting it.—Centre of pressure (see Centre). [O. Fr.,—L. pressura—premĕre, to press.]
Prest, prest, adj. ready: neat: at hand.—n. ready-money: a loan.—v.t. to pay out: to lend. [L. præsto, ready.]
Prester John, pres′tėr jon, n. the name applied by medieval credulity (12th-14th cent.) to the supposed Christian sovereign of a vast empire in Central Asia. [O. Fr. prester (Fr. prêtre), priest.]
Prestidigitation, pres-ti-dij-i-tā′shun, n. sleight of hand—also Prestig′iātion.—adj. Prestidig′ital.—ns. Prestidig′itātor, Prestig′iātor, one who practises sleight of hand.
Prestige, pres-tēzh′, or pres′tij, n. influence arising from past conduct or from reputation. [Fr.,—L. præstigium, delusion—præstinguĕre, to deceive.]