n. [ F. préface; cf. Sp. prefacio, prefacion, It. prefazio, prefazione; all fr. L. praefatio, fr. praefari to speak or say beforehand; prae before + fari, fatus, to speak. See Fate. ] 1. Something spoken as introductory to a discourse, or written as introductory to a book or essay; a proem; an introduction, or series of preliminary remarks. [ 1913 Webster ]

This superficial tale
Is but a preface of her worthy praise. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Heaven's high behest no preface needs. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (R. C. Ch.) The prelude or introduction to the canon of the Mass. Addis & Arnold. [ 1913 Webster ]

Proper preface (Ch. of Eng. & Prot. Epis. Ch.), a portion of the communion service, preceding the prayer of consecration, appointed for certain seasons. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Introduction; preliminary; preamble; proem; prelude; prologue. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Prefaced p. pr. & vb. n. Prefacing. ] To introduce by a preface; to give a preface to; as, to preface a book discourse. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To make a preface. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The writer of a preface. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Prefatory. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a prefatory manner; by way of preface. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or of the nature of, a preface; introductory to a book, essay, or discourse; as, prefatory remarks. [ 1913 Webster ]

That prefatory addition to the Creed. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. praefectus, fr. praefectus, p. p. of praeficere to set over; prae before + facere to make: cf. F. préfet. ] 1. A Roman officer who controlled or superintended a particular command, charge, department, etc.; as, the prefect of the aqueducts; the prefect of a camp, of a fleet, of the city guard, of provisions; the pretorian prefect, who was commander of the troops guarding the emperor's person. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A superintendent of a department who has control of its police establishment, together with extensive powers of municipal regulation. [ France ] Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. In the Greek and Roman Catholic churches, a title of certain dignitaries below the rank of bishop. [ 1913 Webster ]

Apostolic prefect (R. C. Ch.), the head of a mission, not of episcopal rank. Shipley. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to a prefect. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office or jurisdiction of a prefect. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. praefectura: cf. F. préfecture. ] The office, position, or jurisdiction of a prefect; also, his official residence. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Physiol.) A term collectively applied to the changes or conditions preceding fecundation, especially to the changes which the ovum undergoes before fecundation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to prefecundation. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Preferred p. pr. & vb. n. Preferring. ] [ F. préférer, L. praeferre; prae before + ferre to bear or carry. See 1st Bear. ] 1. To carry or bring (something) forward, or before one; hence, to bring for consideration, acceptance, judgment, etc.; to offer; to present; to proffer; to address; -- said especially of a request, prayer, petition, claim, charge, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

He spake, and to her hand preferred the bowl. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Presently prefer his suit to Cæsar. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Three tongues prefer strange orisons on high. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To go before, or be before, in estimation; to outrank; to surpass. [ Obs. ] “Though maidenhood prefer bigamy.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To cause to go before; hence, to advance before others, as to an office or dignity; to raise; to exalt; to promote; as, to prefer an officer to the rank of general. [ 1913 Webster ]

I would prefer him to a better place. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To set above or before something else in estimation, favor, or liking; to regard or honor before another; to hold in greater favor; to choose rather; -- often followed by to, before, or above. [ 1913 Webster ]

If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. Ps. cxxxvii. 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

Preferred an infamous peace before a most just war. Knolles. [ 1913 Webster ]

Preferred stock, stock which takes a dividend before other capital stock; -- called also preference stock and preferential stock. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To choose; elect. See Choose. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being preferable; preferableness. J. S. Mill. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. préférable. ] Worthy to be preferred or chosen before something else; more desirable; as, a preferable scheme. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being preferable. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In preference; by choice. [ 1913 Webster ]

To choose Plautus preferably to Terence. Dennis. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. préférence. ] 1. The act of Preferring, or the state of being preferred; the setting of one thing before another; precedence; higher estimation; predilection; choice; also, the power or opportunity of choosing; as, to give him his preference. [ 1913 Webster ]

Leave the critics on either side to contend about the preference due to this or that sort of poetry. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Knowledge of things alone gives a value to our reasonings, and preference of one man's knowledge over another's. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is preferred; the object of choice or superior favor; as, which is your preference? [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Giving, indicating, or having a preference or precedence; as, a preferential claim; preferential shares. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Political Science) A system of voting, as at primaries, in which the voters are allowed to indicate on their ballots their preference (usually their first and second choices) between two or more candidates for an office, so that if no candidate receives a majority of first choices the one receiving the greatest number of first and second choices together in nominated or elected. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. 1. The act of choosing, or the state of being chosen; preference. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Natural preferment of the one . . . before the other. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of preferring, or advancing in dignity or office; the state of being advanced; promotion. [ 1913 Webster ]

Neither royal blandishments nor promises of valuable preferment had been spared. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A position or office of honor or profit; as, the preferments of the church. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who prefers. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being prefident. [ Obs. ] Baxter. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. L. praefidens overconfident. See Pre-, and Confident. ] Trusting beforehand; hence, overconfident. [ Obs. ] Baxter. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. praefiguratus, p. p. See Prefigure. ] To prefigure. [ R. ] Grafton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. praefiguratio. ] The act of prefiguring, or the state of being prefigured. [ 1913 Webster ]

A variety of prophecies and prefigurations. Norris. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Showing by prefiguration. “The prefigurative atonement.” Bp. Horne. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Prefigured p. pr. & vb. n. Prefiguring. ] [ F. préfigurer, or L. praefigurare, praefiguratum; prae before + figurare to figure. See Figure, and cf. Prefigurate. ] To show, suggest, or announce, by antecedent types and similitudes; to foreshadow. “Whom all the various types prefigured.” South. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of prefiguring; prefiguration; also, that which is prefigured. Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. praefinire; prae before + finire to limit, determine: cf. F. préfiner. ] To limit beforehand. [ Obs. ] Knolles. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. praefinitus, p. p. ] Prearranged. [ Obs. ] “ Set and prefinite time.” Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. praefinitio. ] Previous limitation. [ Obs. ] Fotherby. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Prefixed p. pr. & vb. n. Prefixing. ] [ L. praefixus, p. p. of praefigere to fix or fasten before; prae before + figere to fix: cf. F. préfix fixed beforehand, determined, préfixer to prefix. See Fix. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To put or fix before, or at the beginning of, another thing; as, to prefix a syllable to a word, or a condition to an agreement. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To set or appoint beforehand; to settle or establish antecedently. [ Obs. ] “ Prefixed bounds. ” Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

And now he hath to her prefixt a day. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. préfixe. ] That which is prefixed; esp., one or more letters or syllables combined or united with the beginning of a word to modify its signification; as, pre- in prefix, con- in conjure. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. prefixion. ] The act of prefixing. [ R. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. pre- + L. flos, floris, flower. ] (Bot.) Aestivation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. pre- + L. folium leaf. ] (Bot.) Vernation. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. praeformare. See Pre-, and Form. ] To form beforehand, or for special ends. “Their natures and preformed faculties. ” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Biol.) An old theory of the preëxistence of germs. Cf. Emboîtement. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A formative letter at the beginning of a word. M. Stuart. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Anat. & Zool.) Situated in front of the frontal bone, or the frontal region of the skull; ectethmoid, as a certain bone in the nasal capsule of many animals, and certain scales of reptiles and fishes. -- n. A prefrontal bone or scale. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. praefulgens, p. pr. of praefulgere to shine forth. See Pre-, and Fulgent. ] Superior brightness or effulgency. [ R. ] Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Reproof. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]