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ng swiftly, violently, or recklessly; moving precipitately. They leave their little lives Above the clouds, precipitant to earth. J. Philips. Should he return, that troop so blithe and bold, Precipitant in fear would wing their flight. Pope.

ity or state of being preëminent; superiority in prominence or in excellence; distinction above others in quality, rank, etc.; rarely, in a bad sense, superiority or notoriety in evil; as, preëminence in honor. The preëminence of Christianity to any other religious scheme. Addison. Painful preëminence! yourself to view…

Eminent above others; prominent among those who are eminent; superior in excellence; surpassing, or taking precedence of, others; rarely, surpassing others in evil, or in bad qualities; as, preëminent in guilt. In goodness and in power preëminent. Milton.

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. If I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy. Ps. cxxxvii. 6. Preferred an infamous peace before a most just war. Knolles. Pref…

The setting of one above another; preference. [R.] Jer. Taylor.

The part of the scapula in front of, or above, the spine, or mesoscapula.

Value; estimation; excellence; worth. Her price is far above rubies. Prov. xxxi. 10. New treasures still, of countless price. Keble.

5). Go, Michael, of celestial armies prince. Milton. Queen Elizabeth, a prince admirable above her sex. Camden.

come down, even the crown of your glory. Jer. xiii. 18. The prerogative and principality above everything else. Jer. Taylor.

In a principal manner; primarily; above all; chiefly; mainly.

Any profit above the normal rate of interest and wages accruing to a producer on account of some monopoly (temporary or permanent) of the means or materials of production; -- called also Producer's rent.

An American butterfly (Polygonia, or Vanessa, Progne). It is orange and black above, grayish beneath, with an L-shaped silver mark on the hind wings. Called also gray comma.

Eminent; distinguished above others; as, a prominent character. Prominent' moth (Zoöl.), any moth of the family Notodontidæ; a notodontian; -- so called because the larva has a hump or prominence on its back. Several of the species are injurious to fruit trees.

signature. -- Proof reader, one who reads, and marks correction in, proofs. See def. 5, above.

The glandular stomach of birds, situated just above the crop.

An instrument for measuring degrees of heat above those indicated by the mercurial thermometer.

The great extensor muscle of the knee, divided above into four parts which unite in a single tendon at the knee.

the New Zealand sparrow hawk (Hieracidea Novæ-Hollandiæ). -- Quail pipe. See Quail call, above. -- Quail snipe (Zoöl.), the dowitcher, or red-breasted snipe; -- called also robin snipe, and brown snipe. -- Sea quail (Zoöl.), the turnstone. [Local, U. S.]

antimony, bismuth, and lead or copper. -- Queen's pigeon. (Zoöl.) Same as Queen pigeon, above. -- Queen's ware, glazed English earthenware of a cream color. -- Queen's yellow (Old Chem.), a heavy yellow powder consisting of a basic mercuric sulphate; -- formerly called turpetum minerale, or Turbith's mineral.…

= Questionary, above.