Pristine, pris′tin, adj. as at first: former: belonging to the earliest time: ancient. [O. Fr.,—L. pristinus; cf. priscus, antique, prior, former.]
Prithee, prith′ē, a corruption of I pray thee.
Prittle-prattle, prit′l-prat′l, n. empty talk.
Privacy, prī′va-si, or priv′-, n. state of being private or retired from company or observation: a place of seclusion: retreat: retirement: secrecy.
Privat docent, prē-vat′ dō-tsent′, n. a teacher in connection with a German university, without share in its government or endowment, only receiving fees. [Ger.,—L. privatus, private, docens, -entis, teaching, docēre, to teach.]
Private, prī′vāt, adj. apart from the state: not invested with public office: peculiar to one's self: belonging to an individual person or company: not public: retired from observation: secret: not publicly known: not holding a commission.—n. a common soldier: (Shak.) a person without public office, a secret message, privacy, retirement.—adv. Prī′vately.—n. Prī′vateness.—Private act, &c., an act, &c., which deals with the concerns of private persons—opp. to General act, &c.; Private judgment, the judgment of an individual, esp. on the meaning of a passage or doctrine of Scripture, as distinguished from the interpretation of the church; Private law, that part of law which deals with the rights and duties of persons quâ individuals; Private legislation, legislation affecting the interests of private persons; Private parts, the sexual organs; Private property, rights, the property, rights of individual persons, as distinguished from that which belongs to a public body and is devoted to public use; Private trust, a trust managed in the interest of private parties; Private wrong, an injury done to an individual in his private capacity.—In private, privately, in secret; The private (obs.), the private life of individuals. [L. privatus, pa.p. of privāre, to separate—privus, single.]
Privateer, prī-va-tēr′, n. an armed private vessel commissioned by a government to seize and plunder an enemy's ships: the commander of a privateer.—v.i. to cruise in a privateer: to fit out privateers.—ns. Privateer′ing; Privateer′sman.
Privation, prī-vā′shun, n. state of being deprived of something, esp. of what is necessary for comfort: destitution: (logic) absence of any quality: (obs.) degradation or suspension from an office.—adj. Priv′ative, causing privation: consisting in the absence of something.—n. that which is privative or depends on the absence of something else: (logic) a term denoting the absence of a quality: (gram.) a prefix denoting absence or negation.—adv. Priv′atively.—n. Priv′ativeness. [L.; cf. Private.]
Privet, priv′et, n. a half-evergreen European shrub used for hedges. [Perh. primet—prim.]
Privilege, priv′i-lej, n. an advantage to an individual: a right enjoyed only by a few: freedom from burdens borne by others: prerogative: a sacred and vital civil right: (Shak.) superiority.—v.t. to grant a privilege to: to exempt: to authorise, license.—adj. Priv′ileged.—Breach of privilege, any interference with or slight done to the rights or privileges of a legislative body; Question of privilege, any question arising out of the rights of an assembly or of its members; Writ of privilege, an order for the release of a person from custody. [Fr.,—L. privilegium—privus, single, lex, legis, a law.]