Presto, pres′to, adv. quick: at once: (mus.) quickly, quicker than allegro:—superl. Prestis′simo. [It.,—L. præsto, ready.]
Prestriction, prē-strik′shun, n. blindness. [L. præstringĕre, præstrictum, to draw tight.]
Prestudy, prē-stud′i, v.t. to study beforehand.
Presultor, prē-sul′tor, n. a leader of a dance.
Presume, prē-zūm′, v.t. to take as true without examination or proof: to take for granted.—v.i. to venture beyond what one has ground for: to act forwardly or without proper right.—adj. Presūm′able, that may be presumed or supposed to be true.—adv. Presūm′ably.—adj. Presūm′ing, venturing without permission: unreasonably bold.—adv. Presūm′ingly.—n. Presump′tion, act of presuming: supposition: strong probability: that which is taken for granted: confidence grounded on something not proved: conduct going beyond proper bounds: (law) an assuming of the truth of certain facts from the existence of others having some connection with them.—adj. Presump′tive, presuming: grounded on probable evidence: (law) proving circumstantially.—adv. Presump′tively.—Presumptive evidence, evidence for a fact derived from other facts having some connection with it: indirect evidence.—Heir presumptive, the person, not son or daughter, at present next in succession to any living person. [Fr. présumer—L. præsumĕre—præ, before, sumĕre, to take—sub, under, emĕre, to buy.]
Presumptuous, prē-zump′tū-us, adj. full of presumption: going beyond the bounds of right or duty: bold and confident: founded on presumption: wilful.—adv. Presump′tuously.—n. Presump′tuousness. [L. præsumptuosus.]
Presuppose, prē-sup-pōz′, v.t. to suppose before actual knowledge: to assume or take for granted.—n. Presupposi′tion.
Presurmise, prē-sur-mīz′, n. (Shak.) a surmise previously formed.
Pretend, prē-tend′, v.t. to hold out as a cloak for something else: to lay claim to: to attempt, undertake: to offer as true something that is not so: to affect to feel: (obs.) to offer, present.—v.i. to put in a claim: to make-believe.—ns. Pretence′, something pretended: appearance or show to hide reality: false show or reason: pretext: assumption: claim; Preten′dant, -ent, a pretender.—adjs. Preten′ded, Preten′sed, ostensible, assumed.—adv. Preten′dedly.—ns. Preten′der; Preten′dership.—adv. Preten′dingly.—n. Preten′sion, act of pretending: something pretended: false or fictitious appearance: claim either true or false.—adj. Preten′tious, marked by or containing pretence: claiming more than is warranted: presumptuous: arrogant.—adv. Preten′tiously, in a pretentious manner.—n. Preten′tiousness, the quality of being pretentious. [Fr. prétendre—L. prætendĕre—præ, before, tendĕre, tentum, tensum, to stretch.]
Pretense. Same as Pretence.