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Popularly, any modern artist thought to be a would-be restorer of early ideas or methods, as one of the German painters often called Nazarenes, or one who paints and draws with extreme minuteness of detail.

Occurring before the symptom ataxia has developed; -- applied to the early symptoms of locomotor ataxia.

In a precious manner; expensively; extremely; dearly. Also used ironically.

Ripe or mature before the proper or natural time; early or prematurely ripe or developed; as, precocious trees. [R.] Sir T. Browne.

Unresistingly; openly; hence, clearly; evidently. [Obs.] Shak.

, arriving, existing, or performed before the proper or usual time; adopted too soon; too early; untimely; as, a premature fall of snow; a premature birth; a premature opinion; premature decay.

The quality or state of being premature; early, or untimely, ripeness; as, the prematurity of genius.

Of or pertaining to a preposition; of the nature of a preposition. Early. -- Prep`o*si"tion*al*ly, adv.

An elder in the early Christian church. See 2d Citation under Bishop, n., 1.

A body of elders in the early Christian church.

f different 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…

To come before the usual time. [Obs.] Strawberries . . . will prevent and come early. Bacon.

the largest feathers of the wing of a bird; primaries. -- Primary rocks (Geol.), a term early used for rocks supposed to have been first formed, being crystalline and containing no organic remains, as granite, gneiss, etc.; -- called also primitive rocks. The terms Secondary, Tertiary, and Quaternary rocks have also…

Early; blooming; being in the first stage. [Poetic] His starry helm, unbuckled, showed him prime In manhood where youth ended. Milton.

Of or pertaining to the beginning or origin, or to early times; original; primordial; primeval; first; as, primitive innocence; the primitive church. "Our primitive great sire." Milton.

An early flowering plant of the genus Primula (P. vulgaris) closely allied to the cowslip. There are several varieties, as the white-, the red-, the yellow-flowered, etc. Formerly called also primerole, primerolles.

One of the free, or nearly free, segments of a tapeworm. It contains both male and female reproductive organs, and is capable of a brief independent existence.

ffections, usually in an ill sense. Followed by to. "Prone to mischief." Shak. Poets are nearly all prone to melancholy. Landor.

ve the effect of a pronoun to; as, to pronominalize the substantives person, people, etc. Early.

y, and deemed impenetrable; properly, armor of proof. [Obs.] Shak. Artist's proof, a very early proof impression of an engraving, or the like; -- often distinguished by the artist's signature. -- Proof reader, one who reads, and marks correction in, proofs. See def. 5, above.