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See Chebacco, and 1st Pink.

Having a very narrow stern; -- said of a vessel.

a back door or gate; a private entrance; hence, any small door or gate. He by a privy postern took his flight. Spenser. Out at the postern, by the abbey wall. Shak.

Of or pertaining to potters. Pottern ore, a species of ore which, from its aptness to vitrify like the glazing of potter's wares, the miners call by this name. Boyle.

Same as Preoral, Prepubis, Prescapula, etc.

Infinite previous duration. [R.] "The world's preëternity." Cudworth.

The anterior segment of the sternum; the manubrium. -- Pre*ster"nal, a.

nt from what is natural, or according to the regular course of things, but not clearly supernatural or miraculous; strange; inexplicable; extraordinary; uncommon; irregular; abnormal; as, a preternatural appearance; a preternatural stillness; a preternatural presentation (in childbirth) or labor. This vile and preterna…

The state of being preternatural; a preternatural condition.

Preternaturalness. [R.] Dr. John Smith.

In a preternatural manner or degree. Bacon.

The quality or state of being preternatural.

The quality of being proper.

Dejection; depression. [Obs.] Wiseman.

The ventral plate of the prothorax of an insect.

A sort of bread, made of unbolted rye, which forms the chief food of the Westphalian peasants. It is acid but nourishing.

A loaf of bread weighing about four pounds; -- called also quartern loaf. Simmonds.

Later than, or subsequent to, the Tertiary; Post-tertiary; as, the Quaternary age, or Age of man.

Composed of, or arranged in, sets of four; quaternary; as, quaternate leaves.

roup of four words, phrases, circumstances, facts, or the like. Delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers. Acts xii. 4. Ye elements, the eldest birth Of Nature's womb, that in quaternion run. Milton. The triads and quaternions with which he loaded his sentences. Sir W. Scott.