Presupposition to Prevail
Presupposition
(Pre*sup`po*si"tion) n. [Pref. pre- + supposition: cf. F. présupposition.]
1. The act of presupposing; an antecedent implication; presumption.
2. That which is presupposed; a previous supposition or surmise.
Presurmise
(Pre`sur*mise") n. A surmise previously formed. Shak.
Presystolic
(Pre`sys*tol"ic) a. (Physiol.) Preceding the systole or contraction of the heart; as, the presystolic
friction sound.
Pretemporal
(Pre*tem"po*ral) a. (Anat.) Situated in front of the temporal bone.
Pretence
(Pre*tence") n., Pretenceful
(Pre*tence"ful), a., Pretenceless
(Pre*tence"*less), a. See
Pretense, Pretenseful, Pretenseless.
Pretend
(Pre*tend") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pretended; p. pr. & vb. n. Pretending.] [OE. pretenden to
lay claim to, F. prétendre, L. praetendere, praetentum, to stretch forward, pretend, simulate, assert;
prae before + tendere to stretch. See Tend, v. t. ]
1. To lay a claim to; to allege a title to; to claim.
Chiefs shall be grudged the part which they pretend.
Dryden. 2. To hold before, or put forward, as a cloak or disguise for something else; to exhibit as a veil for something
hidden. [R.]
Lest that too heavenly form, pretended
To hellish falsehood, snare them.
Milton. 3. To hold out, or represent, falsely; to put forward, or offer, as true or real (something untrue or unreal); to
show hypocritically, or for the purpose of deceiving; to simulate; to feign; as, to pretend friendship.
This let him know,
Lest, willfully transgressing, he pretend
Surprisal.
Milton. 4. To intend; to design; to plot; to attempt. [Obs.]
Such as shall pretend
Malicious practices against his state.
Shak. 5. To hold before one; to extend. [Obs.] "His target always over her pretended." Spenser.
Pretend
(Pre*tend"), v. i.
1. To put in, or make, a claim, truly or falsely; to allege a title; to lay claim to, or strive after, something; —
usually with to. "Countries that pretend to freedom." Swift.
For to what fine he would anon pretend,
That know I well.
Chaucer. 2. To hold out the appearance of being, possessing, or performing; to profess; to make believe; to feign; to
sham; as, to pretend to be asleep. "[He] pretended to drink the waters." Macaulay.
Pretendant
(Pre*tend"ant) n. A pretender; a claimant.
Pretended
(Pre*tend"ed), a. Making a false appearance; unreal; false; as, pretended friend. — Pre*tend"ed*ly,
adv.
Pretendence
(Pre*tend"ence) n. The act of pretending; pretense. [Obs.] Daniel.
