Chapter 68

2. (Presbyterian Ch.) A judicatory consisting of all the ministers within a certain district, and one layman, who is a ruling elder, from each parish or church, commissioned to represent the church in conjunction with the pastor. This body has a general jurisdiction over the churches under its care, and next below the provincial synod in authority.

3. The Presbyterian religion of polity. [R.] Tatler.

4. (a) (Arch.) That part of the church reserved for the officiating priest. (b) The residence of a priest or clergyman. Gwilt.

||Pres*byt"i*a (?), n. [NL. See Presbyte.] (Med.) Presbyopia.

Pres*byt"ic (?), a. (Med.) Same as Presbyopic.

Pres"byt*ism (?), n. Presbyopia.

||Pre*scap"u*la (?), n. [NL.] (Anat.) The part of the scapula in front ||of, or above, the spine, or mesoscapula.

Pre*scap"u*lar (?), a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the prescapula; supraspinous.

Pre"sci*ence (pr"sh*ens or - shens; 277), n. [F. prescience, L. praescientia. See Prescient.] Knowledge of events before they take place; foresight.

God's certain prescience of the volitions of moral agents.

J. Edwards.

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Pre"sci*ent (pr"sh*ent or - shent), a. [L. praesciens, - entis, p. pr. of praescire to foreknow; prae before + scire to know: cf. F. prescient. See Science.] Having knowledge of coming events; foreseeing; conscious beforehand. Pope.

Henry . . . had shown himself sensible, and almost prescient, of this event.

Bacon.

Pre"sci*ent*ly, adv. With prescience or foresight.

Pre*scind" (pr*snd"), v. t. [L. praescindere to cut off in front; prae before + scindere to cut asunder: cf. F. prescinder.]

1. To cut off; to abstract. [Obs.] Norris.

2. (Metaph.) To consider by a separate act of attention or analysis. Sir W. Hamilton.

Pre*scind"ent (?), a. [L. praescius; prae before + scius knowing, fr. scire to know.] Cutting off; abstracting. [R.] Cheyne.

Pre"scious (pr"shs), a. [L. praescius; prae before + scius knowing, fr. scire to know.] Foreknowing; having foreknowledge; as, prescious of ills. [R.] Dryden.

Pre*scribe" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prescribed (?); p. pr & vb. n. Prescribing.] [L. praescribere, praescriptum; prae before + scriebe to write. See Scribe.]

1. To lay down authoritatively as a guide, direction, or rule of action; to impose as a peremptory order; to dictate; to appoint; to direct.

Prescribe not us our duties.

Shak.

Let streams prescribe their fountains where to run.

Dryden.

2. (Med.) To direct, as a remedy to be used by a patient; as, the doctor prescribed quinine.

Syn. -- To appoint; order; command; dictate; ordain; institute; establish.

Pre*scribe", v. i. 1. To give directions; to dictate.

A forwardness to prescribe to their opinions.

Locke.

2. To influence by long use [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

3. (Med.) To write or to give medical directions; to indicate remedies; as, to prescribe for a patient in a fever.

4. (Law) To claim by prescription; to claim a title to a thing on the ground of immemorial use and enjoyment, that is, by a custom having the force of law.

Pre*scrib"er (?), n. One who prescribes.

Pre"script (?), a. [L. praescriptus, p. p. of praescribere: cf. F. prescrit. See Prescribe.] Directed; prescribed. " A prescript from of words." Jer. Taylor.

Pre"script, n. [L. praescriptum: cf. OF. prescript.]

1. Direction; precept; model prescribed. Milton.

2. A medical prescription. [Obs.] Bp. Fell.

Pre*scrip`ti*bil"i*ty (?), n. The quality or state of being prescriptible. Story.

Pre*scrip"ti*ble (pr*skrp"t*b'l), a. [Cf. F. prescriptible.] Depending on, or derived from, prescription; proper to be prescribed. Grafton.

Pre*scrip"tion (-shn), n. [F. prescription, L. praescriptio, an inscription, preface, precept, demurrer, prescription (in sense 3), fr. praescribere. See Prescribe.]

1. The act of prescribing, directing, or dictating; direction; precept; also, that which is prescribed.

2. (Med.) A direction of a remedy or of remedies for a disease, and the manner of using them; a medical recipe; also, a prescribed remedy.

3. (Law) A prescribing for title; the claim of title to a thing by virtue of immemorial use and enjoyment; the right or title acquired by possession had during the time and in the manner fixed by law. Bacon.

That profound reverence for law and prescription which has long been characteristic of Englishmen.

Macaulay.

Prescription differs from custom, which is a local usage, while prescription is personal, annexed to the person only. Prescription only extends to incorporeal rights, such as aright of way, or of common. What the law gives of common rights is not the subject of prescription. Blackstone. Cruise. Kent. In Scotch law, prescription is employed in the sense in which limitation is used in England and America, namely, to express that operation of the lapse of time by which obligations are extinguished or title protected. Sir T. Craig. Erskine.

Pre*scrip"tive (?), a. [L. praescriptivus of a demurrer or legal exception.] (Law) Consisting in, or acquired by, immemorial or long-continued use and enjoyment; as, a prescriptive right of title; pleading the continuance and authority of long custom.

The right to be drowsy in protracted toil has become prescriptive.

J. M. Mason.

Pre*scrip"tive*ly, adv. By prescription.

||Pre*scu"tum (?), n.; pl. Prescuta (&?;). [NL. See PrÊ-, and Scutum.] ||(Zoˆl.) The first of the four pieces composing the dorsal part, or ||tergum, of a thoracic segment of an insect. It is usually small and ||inconspicuous.

Pre"se*ance (?), n. [F. prÈsÈance. See Preside.] Priority of place in sitting.[Obs.] Carew.

Pre`se*lect" (?), v. t. To select beforehand.

Pres"ence (?), n. [F. prÈsence, L. praesentia. See Present.] 1. The state of being present, or of being within sight or call, or at hand; -- opposed to absence.

2. The place in which one is present; the part of space within one's ken, call, influence, etc.; neighborhood without the intervention of anything that forbids intercourse.

Wrath shell be no more Thenceforth, but in thy presence joy entire.

Milton.

3. Specifically, neighborhood to the person of one of superior of exalted rank; also, presence chamber.

In such a presence here to plead my thoughts.

Shak.

An't please your grace, the two great cardinals. Wait in the presence.

Shak.

4. The whole of the personal qualities of an individual; person; personality; especially, the person of a superior, as a sovereign.

The Sovran Presence thus replied.

Milton.

5. An assembly, especially of person of rank or nobility; noble company.

Odmar, of all this presence does contain, Give her your wreath whom you esteem most fair.

Dryden.

6. Port, mien; air; personal appearence. "Rather dignity of presence than beauty of aspect." Bacon.

A graceful presence bespeaks acceptance.

Collier.

Presence chamber, or Presence room, the room in which a great personage receives company. Addison. " Chambers of presence." Bacon. -- Presence of mind, that state of the mind in which all its faculties are alert, prompt, and acting harmoniously in obedience to the will, enabling one to reach, as it were spontaneously or by intuition, just conclusions in sudden emergencies.

Pre`sen*sa"tion (?), n. Previous sensation, notion, or idea. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

Pre*sen"sion (?), n. [L. praesensio, fr. praesentire to perceive beforehand. See Presentient.] Previous perception. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Pres"ent (?), a. [F. prÈsent, L. praesens,-entis, that is before one, in sight or at hand, p. p. of praeesse to be before; prae before + esse to be. See Essence.]

1. Being at hand, within reach or call, within certain contemplated limits; -- opposed to absent.

These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

John xiv. 25.

2. Now existing, or in process; begun but not ended; now in view, or under consideration; being at this time; not past or future; as, the present session of Congress; the present state of affairs; the present instance.

I'll bring thee to the present business

Shak.

3. Not delayed; immediate; instant; coincident. "A present recompense." "A present pardon." Shak.

An ambassador . . . desires a present audience.

Massinger.

4. Ready; quick in emergency; as a present wit. [R.]

5. Favorably attentive; propitious. [Archaic]

To find a god so present to my prayer.

Dryden.

Present tense (Gram.), the tense or form of a verb which expresses action or being in the present time; as, I am writing, I write, or I do write.

Pres"ent, n. [Cf. F. prÈsent. See Present, a.] 1. Present time; the time being; time in progress now, or at the moment contemplated; as, at this present.

Past and present, wound in one.

Tennyson.

2. pl. (Law) Present letters or instrument, as a deed of conveyance, a lease, letter of attorney, or other writing; as in the phrase, " Know all men by these presents," that is, by the writing itself, " per has literas praesentes; " -- in this sense, rarely used in the singular.

3. (Gram.) A present tense, or the form of the verb denoting the present tense.

At present, at the present time; now. -- For the present, for the tine being; temporarily. -- In present, at once, without delay. [Obs.] "With them, in present, half his kingdom; the rest to follow at his death." Milton.

Pre*sent" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Presented; p. pr. & vb. n. Presenting.] [F. prÈsenter, L. praesentare, fr. praesens, a. See Present, a.] 1. To bring or introduce into the presence of some one, especially of a superior; to introduce formally; to offer for acquaintance; as, to present an envoy to the king; (with the reciprocal pronoun) to come into the presence of a superior.

Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the lord.

Job i. 6

2. To exhibit or offer to view or notice; to lay before one's perception or cognizance; to set forth; to present a fine appearance.

Lectorides's memory is ever . . . presenting him with the thoughts of other persons.

I. Watts.

3. To pass over, esp. in a ceremonious manner; to give in charge or possession; to deliver; to make over.

So ladies in romance assist their knight, Present the spear, and arm him for the fight.

Pope.

4. To make a gift of; to bestow; to give, generally in a formal or ceremonious manner; to grant; to confer.

My last, least offering, I present thee now.

Cowper.

5. Hence: To endow; to bestow a gift upon; to favor, as with a donation; also, to court by gifts.

Octavia presented the poet for him admirable elegy on her son Marcellus.

Dryden.

6. To present; to personate. [Obs.] Shak.

7. In specific uses; (a) To nominate to an ecclesiastical benefice; to offer to the bishop or ordinary as a candidate for institution.

The patron of a church may present his clerk to a parsonage or vicarage; that is, may offer him to the bishop of the diocese to be instituted.

Blackstone.

(b) To nominate for support at a public school or other institution . Lamb. (c) To lay before a public body, or an official, for consideration, as before a legislature, a court of judicature, a corporation, etc.; as, to present a memorial, petition, remonstrance, or indictment. (d) To lay before a court as an object of inquiry; to give notice officially of, as a crime of offence; to find or represent judicially; as, a grand jury present certain offenses or nuisances, or whatever they think to be public injuries. (e) To bring an indictment against . [U.S] (f) To aim, point, or direct, as a weapon; as, to present a pistol or the point of a sword to the breast of another.

Pesent arms (Mil.), the command in response to which the gun is carried perpendicularly in front of the center of the body, and held there with the left hand grasping it at the lower band, and the right hand grasping the small of the stock, in token of respect, as in saluting a superior officer; also, the position taken at such a command.

Pre*sent", v. i. (Med.) To appear at the mouth of the uterus so as to be perceptible to the finger in vaginal examination; -- said of a part of an infant during labor.

Pres"ent (?), n. [F. prÈsent .] Anything presented or given; a gift; a donative; as, a Christmas present.

Syn. -- Gift; donation; donative; benefaction. See Gift.

Pre*sent" (?), n. (Mil.) The position of a soldier in presenting arms; as, to stand at present.

Pre*sent"a*ble (?), a. [Cf. F. prÈsentable.] 1. Capable or admitting of being presented; suitable to be exhibited, represented, or offered; fit to be brought forward or set forth; hence, fitted to be introduced to another, or to go into society; as, ideas that are presentable in simple language; she is not presentable in such a gown.

2. Admitting of the presentation of a clergiman; as, a church presentable. [R.] Ayliffe.

Pres`en*ta"ne*ous (?), a. [L. praesentaneus. See Present, a.] Ready; quick; immediate in effect; as, presentaneous poison. [Obs.] Harvey.

Pres`en*ta"tion (?), n. [L. praesentatio a showing, representation: cf. F. prÈsentation.] 1. The act of presenting, or the state of being presented; a setting forth; an offering; bestowal.

Prayers are sometimes a presentation of mere desires.

Hooker.

2. Hence, exhibition; representation; display; appearance; semblance; show.

Under the presentation of the shoots his wit.

Shak.

3. That which is presented or given; a present; a gift, as, the picture was a presentation. [R.]

4. (Eccl.) The act of offering a clergyman to the bishop or ordinary for institution in a benefice; the right of presenting a clergyman.

If the bishop admits the patron's presentation, the clerk so admitted is next to be instituted by him.

Blackstone.

5. (Med.) The particular position of the child during labor relatively to the passage though which it is to be brought forth; -- specifically designated by the part which first appears at the mouth of the uterus; as, a breech presentation.

Presentation copy, a copy of a book, engraving, etc., presented to some one by the author or artist, as a token of regard.

Pre*sent"a*tive (?), a. 1. (Eccl.) Having the right of presentation, or offering a clergyman to the bishop for institution; as, advowsons are presentative, collative, or donative. Blackstone.

2. Admitting the presentation of a clergyman; as, a presentative parsonage. Spelman.

3. (Metaph.) Capable of being directly known by, or presented to, the mind; intuitive; directly apprehensible, as objects; capable of apprehending, as faculties.

The latter term, presentative faculty, I use . . . in contrast and correlation to a "representative faculty."

Sir W. Hamilton.

Pres`en*tee" (?), n. [F. prÈsentÈ, p. p. See Present, v. t. ] One to whom something is presented; also, one who is presented; specifically (Eccl.), one presented to benefice. Ayliffe.

Pre*sent"er (?), n. One who presents.

Pre*sen"tial (?), a. [LL. praesentialis.] Implying actual presence; present, immediate. [Obs.]

God's mercy is made presential to us.

Jer. Taylor.

-- Pre*sen"tial*ly, adv. [Obs.]

Pre*sen`ti*al"i*ty (?), n. State of being actually present. [Obs.] South.

Pre*sen"ti*ate (?), v. t. To make present. [Obs.]

Pre*sen"tient (?), a. [L. praesentiens, p. pr. of praesentire to perceive beforehand; prae before + sentire to feel.] Feeling or perceiving beforehand.

Pres`en*tif"ic (?), a. [L. praesens, -entis, present + facere to make.] Making present. [Obs.]

-- Pres`en*tif"ic*ly, adv. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

Pres`en*tif"ic*al (?), a. Presentific. [Obs.]

Pre*sen"ti*ment (?), n. [Pref. pre- + sentiment: cf. F. pressentiment. See Presentient.] Previous sentiment, conception, or opinion; previous apprehension; especially, an antecedent impression or conviction of something unpleasant, distressing, or calamitous, about to happen; anticipation of evil; foreboding.

Pre*sen`ti*men"tal (?), a. Of nature of a presentiment; foreboding. [R.] Coleridge.

Pre*sen"tion (?), n. See Presension. [Obs.]

Pre*sent"ive (?), a. (Philol.) Bringing a conception or notion directly before the mind; presenting an object to the memory of imagination; -- distinguished from symbolic.

How greatly the word "will" is felt to have lost presentive power in the last three centuries.

Earle.

-- Pre*sent"ive*ly, adv. -- Pre*sent"ive*ness, n.

Pres"ent*ly (?), adv. 1. At present; at this time; now. [Obs.]

The towns and forts you presently have.

Sir P. Sidney.

2. At once; without delay; forthwith; also, less definitely, soon; shortly; before long; after a little while; by and by. Shak.

And presently the fig tree withered away.

Matt. xxi. 19.

3. With actual presence; actually . [Obs.]

His precious body and blood presently three.

Bp. Gardiner.

Pre*sent"ment (?), n. 1. The act of presenting, or the state of being presented; presentation. " Upon the heels of my presentment." Shak.

2. Setting forth to view; delineation; appearance; representation; exhibition.

Power to cheat the eye with blear illusion, And give it false presentment.

Milton.

3. (Law) (a) The notice taken by a grand jury of any offence from their own knowledge or observation, without any bill of indictment laid before them, as, the presentment of a nuisance, a libel, or the like; also, an inquisition of office and indictment by a grand jury; an official accusation presented to a tribunal by the grand jury in an indictment, or the act of offering an indictment; also, the indictment itself. (b) The official notice (formerly required to be given in court) of the surrender of a copyhold estate. Blackstone.

Presentment of a bill of exchange, the offering of a bill to the drawee for acceptance, or to the acceptor for payment. See Bill of exchange, under Bill.

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Pres"ent*ness (?), n. The quality or state of being present; presence. [Obs.] "Presentness of mind in danger." Clarendon.

Pres`en*toir" (?), n. [Formed after analogy of French.] An ornamental tray, dish, or the like, used as a salver.

Pre*serv"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being preserved; admitting of preservation.

Pres`er*va"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. prÈservation.] The act or process of preserving, or keeping safe; the state of being preserved, or kept from injury, destruction, or decay; security; safety; as, preservation of life, fruit, game, etc.; a picture in good preservation.

Give us particulars of thy preservation.

Shak.

Pre*serv"a*tive (?), a. [Cf. F. prÈservatif.] Having the power or quality of preserving; tending to preserve, or to keep from injury, decay, etc.

Pre*serv"a*tive, n. That which preserves, or has the power of preserving; a presevative agent.

To wear tablets as preservatives against the plague.

Bacon.

Pre*serv"a*to*ry (?), a. Preservative. Bp. Hall.

Pre*serv"a*to*ry, n.; pl. Preservatories (&?;). 1. A preservative. [Obs.] Whitlock.

2. A room, or apparatus, in which perishable things, as fruit, vegetables, etc., can be preserved without decay.

Pre*serve" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Preserved (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Preserving.] [F. prÈserver, from L. prae before + servare to save, preserve; cf. L. praeservare to observe beforehand. See Serve.] 1. To keep or save from injury or destruction; to guard or defend from evil, harm, danger, etc.; to protect.

O Lord, thou preserved man and beast.

Ps. xxxvi. 6.

Now, good angels preserve the king.

Shak.

2. To save from decay by the use of some preservative substance, as sugar, salt, etc.; to season and prepare for remaining in a good state, as fruits, meat, etc.; as, to preserve peaches or grapes.

You can not preserve it from tainting.

Shak.

3. To maintain throughout; to keep intact; as, to preserve appearances; to preserve silence.

To preserve game, to protect it from extermination.

Syn. -- To keep; save; secure; uphold; sustain; defend; spare; protect; guard; shield. See Keep.

Pre*serve", v. i. 1. To make preserves. Shak.

2. To protect game for purposes of sport.

Pre*serve", n. 1. That which is preserved; fruit, etc., seasoned and kept by suitable preparation; esp., fruit cooked with sugar; -- commonly in the plural.

2. A place in which game, fish, etc., are preserved for purposes of sport, or for food.

Pre*serv"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, preserves, saves, or defends, from destruction, injury, or decay; esp., one who saves the life or character of another. Shak.

2. One who makes preserves of fruit.

Game preserver. See under Game.

Pre*show" (?), v. t. To foreshow.

Pre*side" (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Presided; p. pr. & vb. n. Presiding.] [L. praesidere; prae before + sedere to sit: cf. F. prÈsider. See Sit.] 1. To be set, or to sit, in the place of authority; to occupy the place of president, chairman, moderator, director, etc.; to direct, control, and regulate, as chief officer; as, to preside at a public meeting; to preside over the senate.

2. To exercise superintendence; to watch over.

Some o'er the public magazines preside.

Dryden.

Pres"i*dence (?), n. See Presidency. [Obs.]

Pres"i*den*cy (?), n.; pl. Presidencies (#). [Cf. F. prÈsidence.] 1. The function or condition of one who presides; superintendence; control and care.

2. The office of president; as, Washington was elected to the presidency.

3. The term during which a president holds his office; as, during the presidency of Madison.

4. One of the three great divisions of British India, the Bengal, Madras, and Bombay Presidencies, each of which had a council of which its governor was president.

Pres"i*dent (?), n. Precedent. [Obs.] Bacon.

Pres"i*dent, a. Occupying the first rank or chief place; having the highest authority; presiding. [R.]

His angels president In every province.

Milton.

Pres"i*dent, n. [F. prÈsident, L. praesidens, -entis, p. pr. of praesidere. See Preside.] 1. One who is elected or appointed to preside; a presiding officer, as of a legislative body. Specifically: (a) The chief officer of a corporation, company, institution, society, or the like. (b) The chief executive officer of the government in certain republics; as, the president of the United States.

2. A protector; a guardian; a presiding genius. [Obs.]

Just Apollo, president of verse.

Waller.

Pres`i*den"tial (?), a. 1. Presiding or watching over. "Presidential angels." Glanvill.

2. Of or pertaining to a president; as, the presidential chair; a presidential election.

Pres"i*dent*ship (?), n. The office and dignity of president; presidency. Hooker.

Pre*sid"er (?), n. One who presides.

{ Pre*sid"i*al (?), Pre*sid"i*a*ry (?), } a. [L. praesidialis and praesidiarius, fr. praesidium a presiding over, defense, guard. See Preside.] Of or pertaining to a garrison; having a garrison.

There are three presidial castles in this city.

Howell.

Pre*sid"i*a*ry, n. [L. praesidiarium.] A guard. [Obs.] "Heavenly presidiaries." Bp. Hall.

Pre*sid"ing (?), a. & n. from Preside.

Presiding elder. See under 2d Elder.

||Pre*si"di*o (?), n. [Sp.] A place of defense; a fortress; a garrison; ||a fortress; a garrison or guardhouse.

Pre*sig`ni*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [&?;. praesignificatio. See Presignify.] The act of signifying or showing beforehand.

Pre*sig"ni*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Presignified (?); imp. & p. p. Presignifying.] [L. praesignificare; prae before + significare to signify.] To intimate or signify beforehand; to presage.

Pre*sphe"noid (?), a. (Anat.) Situated in front of the sphenoid bone; of or pertaining to the anterior part of the sphenoid bone (i. e., the presphenoid bone).

Presphenoid bone (Anat.), the anterior part of the body of the sphenoid bone in front of the basisphenoid. It is usually a separate bone in the young or fetus, but becomes a part of the sphenoid in the adult.

Pre*sphe"noid, n. (Anat.) The presphenoid bone.

Pre`sphe*noid"al (?), a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the presphenoid bone; presphenoid.

Pre*spi"nal (?), a. (Anat.) Prevertebral.

Press (?), n. (Zoˆl.) An East Indian insectivore (Tupaia ferruginea). It is arboreal in its habits, and has a bushy tail. The fur is soft, and varies from rusty red to maroon and to brownish black.