Syn. — Bent; bias; inclination; preoccupancy; prejudgment. See Bent.
Prepossessor
(Pre`*pos*sess"or) n. One who possesses, or occupies, previously. R. Brady.
Preposterous
(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.
Prepostor
(Pre*pos"tor) n. See Prepositor.
Prepotency
(Pre*po"ten*cy) n. [L. praepotentia: cf. F. prépotence.]
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.
Prepotent
(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.
Preprovide
(Pre`pro*vide") v. t. To provide beforehand. "The materials preprovided." Fuller.
Prepubic
(Pre*pu"bic) a. (Anat.) Situated in front of, or anterior to, the pubis; pertaining to the prepubis.
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.
Prepuce
(Pre"puce) n. [F. prépuce, L. praeputium.] (Anat.) The foreskin.
Preputial
(Pre*pu"tial) a. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the prepuce.
Preraphaelism
(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.
Preraphaelite
(Pre*raph"a*el*ite) a. Of or pertaining to the style called preraphaelitism; as, a preraphaelite
figure; a preraphaelite landscape. Ruskin.
Preraphaelite
(Pre*raph"a*el*ite), n. One who favors or practices art as it was before Raphael; one who
favors or advocates preraphaelitism.
