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To go before in place, rank, or importance.

Figuratively: The quality of being heavy with important contents, issue, significance, etc.; unusual consequence or capacity; fertility. Fuller.

Heavy with important contents, significance, or issue; full of consequence or results; weighty; as, pregnant replies. " A pregnant argument." Prynne. " A pregnant brevity." E. Everett.

lancing; -- used literally and figuratively; as, a preponderant weight; of preponderant importance. -- Pre*pon"der*ant*ly, adv.

First in dignity or importance; chief; principal; as, primary planets; a matter of primary importance.

First in rank, degree, dignity, authority, or importance; as, prime minister. "Prime virtues." Dryden.

Highest in rank, authority, character, importance, or degree; most considerable or important; chief; main; as, the principal officers of a Government; the principal men of a state; the principal productions of a country; the principal arguments in a case. Wisdom is the principal thing. Prov. iv. 7.

discriminating duties on goods of foreign production as will restrict or prevent their importation; -- opposed to free trade. Writ of protection. (Law) (a) A writ by which the king formerly exempted a person from arrest; -- now disused. [Eng.] Blackstone. (b) A judicial writ issued to a person required to attend court…

animal fluids and make up the greater part of animal tissues and organs. They are also important constituents of vegetable tissues. See 2d Note under Food. -- Pro"te*id, a.

ix. This surface corresponds in non-Euclidian space to the sphere in ordinary space. An important property of the surface is that any figure drawn upon it can be displaced in any way without tearing it or altering in size any of its elements.

required for the mind to transform a sensory impression into a motor impulse. It is an important part of physiological or reaction time. See under Reaction.

To breathe in a swelling, inflated, or pompous manner; hence, to assume importance. Then came brave Glory puffing by. Herbert.

timate, peculiar powers) Must stand acknowledged, while the world shall stand, The most important and effectual guard, Support, and ornament of virtue's cause. Cowper.

Important; material. "Purposeful accounts." Tylor. -- Pur"pose*ful*ly, adv.

eathed; fat, short, and thick; swelled with pampering; as, pursy insolence. Shak. Pursy important he sat him down. Sir W. Scot.

se duty is to provide quarters, provisions, storage, clothing, fuel, stationery, and transportation for a regiment or other body of troops, and superintend the supplies.

The most powerful, and except the king the most important, piece in a set of chessmen.

houicha, king salmon, chinnook salmon, and Sacramento salmon. It is of great commercial importance. [Written also quinnet.]

enting definite numbers. It was chiefly used for arithmetical purposes, and to register important facts and events. [Written also quipo.] Tylor. The mysterious science of the quipus . . . supplied the Peruvians with the means of communicating their ideas to one another, and of transmitting them to future generations. P…

pinnate-leaved palm (Raphia ruffia) native of Madagascar, and of considerable economic importance on account of the strong fiber (raffia) obtained from its leafstalks.