Chapter 67

Pre*mon`stra*ten"sian (?), n. [F. prÈmontrÈ, fr. PrÈmontrÈ, fr. L. pratum monstratum.] (R. C. Ch.) One of a religious order of regular canons founded by St. Norbert at PrÈmontrÈ, in France, in 1119. The members of the order are called also White Canons, Norbertines, and Premonstrants.

Pre`mon*stra"tion (?), n. [L. praemonstratio.] A showing beforehand; foreshowing.

Pre*mon"stra*tor (?), n. [L. praemonstrator.] One who, or that which, premonstrates. [R.]

Pre*morse" (?), a. [L. praemorsus, p. p. of praemordere to bite off; prae before + mordere to bite.] Terminated abruptly, or as it bitten off.

Premorse root or leaves (Bot.), such as have an abrupt, ragged, and irregular termination, as if bitten off short.

Pre`mo*sa"ic (?), a. Relating to the time before Moses; as, premosaic history.

Pre*mo"tion (?), n. [Pref. pre- + motion.] Previous motion or excitement to action.

Prem`u*ni"re (?), n. (Law) See PrÊmunire.

Prem`u*nite" (?), v. t. [L. praemunitus, p. p. of praemunire to fortify in front; prae before + munire to fortify.] To fortify beforehand; to guard against objection. [Obs.] Fotherby.

Pre`mu*ni"tion (?), n. [L. praemunitio: cf. F. prÈmunition.] The act of fortifying or guarding against objections. [Obs.]

Pre*mu"ni*to*ry (?), a. Of or pertaining to a premunire; as, a premunitory process.

Pre*na"sal (?), a. (Anat.) Situated in front of the nose, or in front of the nasal chambers.

Pre*na"tal (?), a. Being or happening before birth.

Pren"der (?), n. [F. prendre to take, fr. L. prehendere to take.] (Law) The power or right of taking a thing before it is offered. Burrill.

Pre*no"men (?), n. See PrÊnomen.

Pre*nom"i*nal (?), a. Serving as a prefix in a compound name. Sir T. Browne.

Pre*nom"i*nate (?), a. [L. praenominatus, p. p. of praenominare to give the prenomen to, to prenominate, fr. praenomen prenomen.] Forenamed; named beforehand. [R.] "Prenominate crimes." Shak.

Pre*nom"i*nate (?), v. t. To forename; to name beforehand; to tell by name beforehand. Shak.

Pre*nom`i*na*tion (?), n. The act of prenominating; privilege of being named first. Sir T. Browne.

Pre*nos"tic (?), n. [L. praenoscere to foreknow; prae before + noscere, notum, to know.] A prognostic; an omen. [Obs.] Gower.

Pre*note" (?), v. t. [L. praenotare; prae before + notare to note.] To note or designate beforehand. Foxe.

Pre*no"tion (?), n. [L. praenotio: cf. F. prÈnotion. See Prenostic.] A notice or notion which precedes something else in time; previous notion or thought; foreknowledge. Bacon.

Pren*sa"tion (?), n. [L. prensatio, from prensare, prehensare, v. freq. from prehendere to seize.] The act of seizing with violence. [Obs.] Barrow .

Pren"tice (?), n. [Aphetic form of apprentice.] An apprentice. [Obs. or Colloq.] Piers Plowman. "My accuser is my prentice." Shak.

Pren"tice*hood (&?;), n. Apprenticehood. [Obs.]

This jolly prentice with his master bode Till he was out nigh of his prenticehood.

Chaucer.

Pren"tice*ship, n. Apprenticeship. [Obs. or Colloq.]

He served a prenticeship who sets up shop.

Pope.

Pre*nun`ci*a"tion (?), n. [L. praenunciatio, fr. praenunciare to announce beforehand. See Pre-, and Announce.] The act of announcing or proclaiming beforehand. [Obs.]

Pre*nun"cious (?), a. [L. praenuncius.] Announcing beforehand; presaging. [Obs.] Blount.

||Pre*ob`lon*ga"ta (?), n. [NL. See Pre-, and Oblongata.] (Anat.) The ||anterior part of the medulla oblongata. B. G. Wilder.

Pre`ob*tain" (?), v. t. To obtain beforehand.

Pre*oc"cu*pan*cy (?), n. [See Preoccupate.] The act or right of taking possession before another; as, the preoccupancy of wild land.

Pre*oc"cu*pate (?), v. t. [L. praeoccupatus, p. p. of praeoccupare to preoccupy. See Preoccupy.]

1. To anticipate; to take before. [Obs.] "Fear preoccupateth it [death]." Bacon.

2. To prepossess; to prejudice. [Obs.] Sir H. Wotton.

Pre*oc`cu*pa"tion (?), n. [L. praeoccupatio: cf. F. prÈoccupation.] 1. The act of preoccupying, or taking possession of beforehand; the state of being preoccupied; prepossession.

2. Anticipation of objections. [R.] South.

Pre*oc"cu*py (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Preoccupied (-pd); p. pr. & vb. n. Preoccupying (?).] [Cf. F. prÈoccuper. See Preoccupate, Occupy.] 1. To take possession of before another; as, to preoccupy a country not before held.

2. To prepossess; to engage, occupy, or engross the attention of, beforehand; hence, to prejudice.

I Think it more respectful to the reader to leave something to reflections than to preoccupy his judgment.

Arbuthnot.

Pre*oc"u*lar (?), a. (Zoˆl.) Placed just in front of the eyes, as the antennÊ of certain insects. -- n. One of the scales just in front of the eye of a reptile or fish.

Pre*om"i*nate (?), v. t. To ominate beforehand; to portend. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Pre`o*per"cu*lar (?), a. (Anat.) Situated in front of the operculum; pertaining to the preoperculum. -- n. The preoperculum.

||Pre`o*per"cu*lum (?), n. [NL.] (Anat.) The anterior opercular bone in ||fishes.

Pre`o*pin"ion (?), n. Opinion previously formed; prepossession; prejudice. Sir T. Browne.

Pre*op"tion (?), n. Right of first choice.

Pre*o"ral (?), a. (Anat.) Situated in front of, or anterior to, the mouth; as, preoral bands.

Pre*or"bit*al (?), a. (Anat.) Situated in front or the orbit.

Pre`or*dain" (?), v. t. [Pref. pre + ordain: cf. L. praeordinare.] To ordain or appoint beforehand: to predetermine: to foreordain. Milton.

Pre*or"der (?), v. t. To order to arrange beforehand; to foreordain. Sir W. Hamilton.

Pre*or"di*nance (?), n. Antecedent decree or determination. Shak.

Pre*or"di*nate (?), a. [L. praeordinatus, p. p. See Preordain.] Preordained. [R.] Sir T. Elyot.

Pre*or`di*na"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. prÈordination.] The act of foreordaining: previous determination. "The preordination of God." Bale.

Pre*par"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being prepared. "Medicine preparable by art." Boyle.

Prep`a*ra"tion (?), n. [F. prÈparation, L. praeparatio. See Prepare.]

1. The act of preparing or fitting beforehand for a particular purpose, use, service, or condition; previous arrangement or adaptation; a making ready; as, the preparation of land for a crop of wheat; the preparation of troops for a campaign.

2. The state of being prepared or made ready; preparedness; readiness; fitness; as, a nation in good preparation for war.

3. That which makes ready, prepares the way, or introduces; a preparatory act or measure.

I will show what preparations there were in nature for this dissolution.

T. Burnet.

4. That which is prepared, made, or compounded by a certain process or for a particular purpose; a combination. Specifically: (a) Any medicinal substance fitted for use. (b) Anything treated for preservation or examination as a specimen. (c) Something prepared for use in cookery.

I wish the chemists had been more sparing who magnify their preparations.

Sir T. Browne.

In the preparations of cookery, the most volatile parts of vegetables are destroyed.

Arbuthnot.

5. An army or fleet. [Obs.] Shak.

6. (Mus.) The holding over of a note from one chord into the next chord, where it forms a temporary discord, until resolved in the chord that follows; the anticipation of a discordant note in the preceding concord, so that the ear is prepared for the shock. See Suspension.

7. Accomplishment; qualification. [Obs.] Shak.

Pre*par"a*tive (?), a. [Cf. F. prÈparatif.] Tending to prepare or make ready; having the power of preparing, qualifying, or fitting; preparatory.

Laborious quest of knowledge preparative to this work.

South.

Pre*par"a*tive, n.

1. That which has the power of preparing, or previously fitting for a purpose; that which prepares. "A preparative unto sermons." Hooker.

2. That which is done in the way of preparation. "Necessary preparatives for our voyage." Dryden.

Pre*par"a*tive*ly, adv. By way of preparation.

Pre*par"a*tor (?), n. [L. praeparator.] One who prepares beforehand, as subjects for dissection, specimens for preservation in collections, etc. Agassiz.

Pre*par"a*to*ry (?), a. [L. praeparatorius: cf. F. prÈparatoire.] Preparing the way for anything by previous measures of adaptation; antecedent and adapted to what follows; introductory; preparative; as, a preparatory school; a preparatory condition.

Pre*pare" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prepare&?; (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Preparing.] [F. prÈparer, L. praeparare; prae before + parare to make ready. See Pare.]

1. To fit, adapt, or qualify for a particular purpose or condition; to make ready; to put into a state for use or application; as, to prepare ground for seed; to prepare a lesson.

Our souls, not yet prepared for upper light.

Dryden.

2. To procure as suitable or necessary; to get ready; to provide; as, to prepare ammunition and provisions for troops; to prepare ships for defence; to prepare an entertainment. Milton.

That they may prepare a city for habitation.

Ps. cvii. 36

Syn. -- To fit; adjust; adapt; qualify; equip; provide; form; make; make; ready.

<! p. 1131 !>

Pre*pare" (&?;), v. i. 1. To make all things ready; to put things in order; as, to prepare for a hostile invasion. "Bid them prepare for dinner." Shak.

2. To make one's self ready; to get ready; to take the necessary previous measures; as, to prepare for death.

Pre*pare", n. Preparation. [Obs.] Shak.

Pre*pared" (?), a. Made fit or suitable; adapted; ready; as, prepared food; prepared questions. -- Pre*par"ed*ly (#), adv. Shak. -- Pre*par"ed*ness, n.

Pre*par"er (?), n. One who, or that which, prepares, fits, or makes ready. Wood.

Pre*pay" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prepaid (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Prepaying.] To pay in advance, or beforehand; as, to prepay postage.

Pre*pay"ment (?), n. Payment in advance.

Pre*pe"ni*al (?), a. (Anat.) Situated in front of, or anterior to, the penis.

Pre*pense" (?), v. t. [Pref. pre + F. penser to think. See Pansy.] To weigh or consider beforehand; to premeditate. [Obs.] Spenser. Sir T. Elyot.

Pre*pense", v. i. To deliberate beforehand. [Obs.]

Pre*pense", a. [See Pansy, and cf. Prepense, v. t.] Devised, contrived, or planned beforehand; preconceived; premeditated; aforethought; -- usually placed after the word it qualifies; as, malice prepense.

This has not arisen from any misrepresentation or error prepense.

Southey.

Pre*pense"ly, adv. In a premeditated manner.

{ Pre*pol"lence (?), Pre*pol"len*cy (?), } n. [L. praepollentia.] The quality or state of being prepollent; superiority of power; predominance; prevalence. [R.] Coventry.

Pre*pol"lent (?), a. [L. praepollens, p. p. of praepollere to surpass in power; prae before + pollere to be powerful.] Having superior influence or power; prevailing; predominant. [R.] Boyle.

||Pre*pol"lent (?), n.; pl. Prepollices (#). [NL. See Pre-, Pollex.] ||(Anat.) An extra first digit, or rudiment of a digit, on the preaxial ||side of the pollex.

Pre*pon"der (?) v. t. To preponderate. [Obs.]

{ Pre*pon"der*ance (?), Pre*pon"der*an*cy (?), } n. [Cf. F. prÈpondÈrance.] 1. The quality or state of being preponderant; superiority or excess of weight, influence, or power, etc.; an outweighing.

The mind should . . . reject or receive proportionably to the preponderancy of the greater grounds of probability.

Locke.

In a few weeks he had changed the relative position of all the states in Europe, and had restored the equilibrium which the preponderance of one power had destroyed.

Macaulay.

2. (Gun.) The excess of weight of that part of a canon behind the trunnions over that in front of them.

Pre*pon"der*ant (?), a. [L. praeponderans, -antis: cf. F. prÈpondÈrant. See Preponderate.] Preponderating; outweighing; overbalancing; -- used literally and figuratively; as, a preponderant weight; of preponderant importance. -- Pre*pon"der*ant*ly, adv.

Pre*pon"der*ate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Preponderated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Preponderating.] [L. praeponderatus, p. p. of praeponderare; prae before + ponderare to weigh, fr., pondus, ponderis, a weight. See Ponder.] 1. To outweigh; to overpower by weight; to exceed in weight; to overbalance.

An inconsiderable weight, by distance from the center of the balance, will preponderate greater magnitudes.

Glanvill.

2. To overpower by stronger or moral power.

3. To cause to prefer; to incline; to decide. [Obs.]

The desire to spare Christian blood preponderates him for peace.

Fuller.

Pre*pon"der*ate, v. i. To exceed in weight; hence, to incline or descend, as the scale of a balance; figuratively, to exceed in influence, power, etc.; hence; to incline to one side; as, the affirmative side preponderated.

That is no just balance in which the heaviest side will not preponderate.

Bp. Wilkins.

Pre*pon"der*a`ting*ly (?), adv. In a preponderating manner; preponderantly.

Pre*pon`der*a"tion (?), n. [L. praeponderatio.] The act or state of preponderating; preponderance; as, a preponderation of reasons. I. Watts.

Pre*pose" (?), v. t. [F. prÈposer; pref. prÈ- (L. prae before) + poser. See Pose.] To place or set before; to prefix. [Obs.] Fuller.

Prep`o*si"tion (?), n. [L. praepositio, fr. praeponere to place before; prae before + ponere to put, place: cf. F. prÈposition. See Position, and cf. Provost.]

1. (Gram.) A word employed to connect a noun or a pronoun, in an adjectival or adverbial sense, with some other word; a particle used with a noun or pronoun (in English always in the objective case) to make a phrase limiting some other word; -- so called because usually placed before the word with which it is phrased; as, a bridge of iron; he comes from town; it is good for food; he escaped by running.

2. A proposition; an exposition; a discourse. [Obs.]

He made a long preposition and oration.

Fabyan.

Prep`o*si"tion*al (?), a. [Cf. F. prÈpositionnel.] Of or pertaining to a preposition; of the nature of a preposition. Early. -- Prep`o*si"tion*al*ly, adv.

Pre*pos"i*tive (?), a. [L. praepositivus: cf. F. prÈpositif.] (Gram.) Put before; prefixed; as, a prepositive particle. -- n. A prepositive word. Tooke.

||Pre*pos"i*tor (?), n. [NL.] A scholar appointed to inspect other ||scholars; a monitor. Todd.

Pre*pos"i*ture (?), n. [L. praepositura. See Preposition, and cf. Provost.] The office or dignity of a provost; a provostship. Lowth.

Pre`pos*sess" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prepossessed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Prepossessing.]

1. To preoccupy, as ground or land; to take previous possession of. Dryden.

2. To preoccupy, as the mind or heart, so as to preclude other things; hence, to bias or prejudice; to give a previous inclination to, for or against anything; esp., to induce a favorable opinion beforehand, or at the outset.

It created him enemies, and prepossessed the lord general.

Evelyn.

Pre`pos*sess"ing (?), a. Tending to invite favor; attracting confidence, favor, esteem, or love; attractive; as, a prepossessing manner. -- Pre`pos*sess"ing*ly, adv.

Pre`pos*ses"sion (?), n.

1. Preoccupation; prior possession. Hammond.

2. Preoccupation of the mind by an opinion, or impression, already formed; preconceived opinion; previous impression; bias; -- generally, but not always, used in a favorable sense; as, the prepossessions of childhood. "The prejudices and prepossessions of the country." Sir W. Scott.

Syn. -- Bent; bias; inclination; preoccupancy; prejudgment. See Bent.

Pre`*pos*sess"or (?), n. One who possesses, or occupies, previously. R. Brady.

Pre*pos"ter*ous (?), a.[L. praeposterus; prae before + posterus coming after, latter. See Posterior.]

1. Having that first which ought to be last; inverted in order. [Obs.]

The method I take may be censured as preposterous, because I thus treat last of the antediluvian earth, which was first in the order of nature.

Woodward.

2. Contrary to nature or reason; not adapted to the end; utterly and glaringly foolish; unreasonably absurd; perverted. "Most preposterous conclusions." Shak.

Preposterous ass, that never read so far!

Shak.

Syn. -- Absurd; perverted; wrong; irrational; foolish; monstrous. See Absurd.

-- Pre*pos"ter*ous*ly, adv. - Pre*pos"ter*ous*ness, n.

Pre*pos"tor (?), n. See Prepositor.

Pre*po"ten*cy (?), n. [L. praepotentia: cf. F. prÈpotence.]

1. The quality or condition of being prepotent; predominance. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

2. (Biol.) The capacity, on the part of one of the parents, as compared with the other, to transmit more than his or her own share of characteristics to their offspring.

Pre*po"tent (?), a. [L. praepotens. See Pre-, and Potent.]

1. Very powerful; superior in force, influence, or authority; predominant. Plaifere.

2. (Biol.) Characterized by prepotency. Darwin.

Pre`pro*vide" (?), v. t. To provide beforehand. "The materials preprovided." Fuller.

Pre*pu"bic (?), a. (Anat.) Situated in front of, or anterior to, the pubis; pertaining to the prepubis.

||Pre*pu"bis (?), n. [NL. See Pre- , and Pubis.] (Anat.)A bone or ||cartilage, of some animals, situated in the middle line in front of ||the pubic bones.

Pre"puce (?), n. [F. prÈpuce, L. praeputium.] (Anat.) The foreskin.

Pre*pu"tial (?), a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the prepuce.

{ Pre*raph"a*el*ism (?), Pre*raph"a*el*i`tism (?), } n. (Fine Arts) The doctrine or practice of a school of modern painters who profess to be followers of the painters before Raphael. Its adherents advocate careful study from nature, delicacy and minuteness of workmanship, and an exalted and delicate conception of the subject.

Pre*raph"a*el*ite (?), a. Of or pertaining to the style called preraphaelitism; as, a preraphaelite figure; a preraphaelite landscape. Ruskin.

Pre*raph"a*el*ite, n. One who favors or practices art as it was before Raphael; one who favors or advocates preraphaelitism.

Pre*reg"nant (?), n. One who reigns before another; a sovereign predecessor. [R.] Warner.

Pre`re*mote (?), a. More remote in previous time or prior order.

In some cases two more links of causation may be introduced; one of them may be termed the preremote cause, the other the postremote effect.

E. Darwin.

Pre`re*quire" (?), v. t. To require beforehand.

Some things are prerequired of us.

Bp. Hall.

Pre*req"ui*site (?), a. Previously required; necessary as a preliminary to any proposed effect or end; as, prerequisite conditions of success.

Pre*req"ui*site, n. Something previously required, or necessary to an end or effect proposed.

The necessary prerequisites of freedom.

Goldsmith.

Pre`re*solve" (?), v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Preresolved (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Preresolving.] To resolve beforehand; to predetermine. Sir E. Dering.

Pre*rog"a*tive (?), n. [F. prÈrogative, from L. praerogativa precedence in voting, preference, privilege, fr. praerogativus that is asked before others for his opinion, that votes before or first, fr. praerogare to ask before another; prae before + rogare to ask. See Rogation.]

1. An exclusive or peculiar privilege; prior and indefeasible right; fundamental and essential possession; -- used generally of an official and hereditary right which may be asserted without question, and for the exercise of which there is no responsibility or accountability as to the fact and the manner of its exercise.

The two faculties that are the prerogative of man -- the powers of abstraction and imagination.

I. Taylor.

An unconstitutional exercise of his prerogative.

Macaulay.

2. Precedence; preÎminence; first rank. [Obs.]

Then give me leave to have prerogative.

Shak.

The term came into general use in the conflicts between the Crown and Parliaments of Great Britain, especially in the time of the Stuarts.

Prerogative Court (Eng. Law), a court which formerly had authority in the matter of wills and administrations, where the deceased left bona notabilia, or effects of the value of five pounds, in two or more different dioceses. Blackstone. -- Prerogative office, the office in which wills proved in the Prerogative Court were registered.

Syn. -- Privilege; right. See Privilege.

Pre*rog"a*tived (?), a. Endowed with a prerogative, or exclusive privilege. [R.] Shak.

Pre*rog"a*tive*ly (?), adv. By prerogative.

Pre"sage (?), n. [F. prÈsage, L. praesagium, from praesagire. See Presage, v. t. ]

1. Something which foreshows or portends a future event; a prognostic; an omen; an augury. "Joy and shout - - presage of victory." Milton.

2. Power to look the future, or the exercise of that power; foreknowledge; presentiment.

If there be aught of presage in the mind.

Milton.

Syn. -- Prognostic; omen; token; sign; presentiment.

Pre*sage" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Presaged (-sjd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Presaging. ] [F. prÈsager, L. praesagire: prae before + sagire to perceive acutely or sharply. See Sagacious.]

1. To have a presentiment of; to feel beforehand; to foreknow.

2. To foretell; to predict; to foreshow; to indicate.

My dreams presage some joyful news at hand.

Shak.

Pre*sage", v. i. To form or utter a prediction; -- sometimes used with of. Dryden.

Pre*sage"ful (?), a. Full of presages; ominous.

Dark in the glass of some presageful mood.

Tennyson.

Pre*sage"ment (?), n.

1. The act or art of presaging; a foreboding. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

2. That which is presaged, or foretold. [R.] "Ominous presagement before his end. " Sir H. Wotton.

Pre*sa"ger (?), n. One who, or that which, presages; a foreteller; a foreboder. Shak.

Pre*sa"gious (?), a. Foreboding; ominous. [Obs.]

Pres"by*ope (?), n. (Med.) One who has presbyopia; a farsighted person.

||Pres`by*o"pi*a (?) [NL., from Gr. &?; old, n., an old man + &?;, &?;, ||the eye.] (Med.) A defect of vision consequent upon advancing age. It ||is due to rigidity of the crystalline lens, which produces difficulty ||of accommodation and recession of the near point of vision, so that ||objects very near the eyes can not be seen distinctly without the use ||of convex glasses. Called also presbytia.

Pres`by*op"ic (?), a. Affected by presbyopia; also, remedying presbyopia; farsighted.

Pres"by*o`py (?), n. [Cf. F. presbyopie.] See Presbyopia.

Pres"byte (?), n. [Gr. &?; an old man.] Same as Presbyope.

Pres"by*ter (?), n. [L. an elder, fr. Gr. &?;. See Priest.]

1. An elder in the early Christian church. See 2d Citation under Bishop, n., 1.

2. (Ch. of Eng. & Prot. Epis. Ch.) One ordained to the second order in the ministry; -- called also priest.

I rather term the one sort presbyter than priest.

Hooker.

New presbyter is but old priest writ large.

Milton.

3. (Presbyterian Ch.) A member of a presbytery whether lay or clerical.

4. A Presbyterian. [Obs.] Hudibras.

Pres*byt"er*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to a presbyter or presbytery; presbyterial.

Pres*byt"er*ate (?), n. [L. presbyteratus: cf. F. presbytÈrat.] A presbytery; also, presbytership. Heber.

Pres"by*ter*ess, n. A female presbyter. Bale.

Pres`by*te"ri*al (?), a. [Cf. F. presbytÈral.] Presbyterian. "Presbyterial government." Milton.

Pres`by*te"ri*an (?), a. [Cf. F. presbytÈrien.] Of or pertaining to a presbyter, or to ecclesiastical government by presbyters; relating to those who uphold church government by presbyters; also, to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of a communion so governed.

Pres`by*te"ri*an, n. [Cf. F. presbytÈrien.] One who maintains the validity of ordination and government by presbyters; a member of the Presbyterian church.

Reformed Presbyterians. See Cameronian.

Pres`by*te"ri*an*ism (?), n. [Cf. F. presbytÈrianisme.] That form of church government which invests presbyters with all spiritual power, and admits no prelates over them; also, the faith and polity of the Presbyterian churches, taken collectively.

||Pres`by*te"ri*um (?), n. [L.] (Arch.) Same as Presbytery, 4.

Pres"by*ter*ship (?), n. The office or station of a presbyter; presbyterate.

Pres"by*ter*y (?), n.; pl. Presbyteries (#). [L. presbyterium, Gr. &?;. See Presbyter, and cf. Presbyterium.]

1. A body of elders in the early Christian church.