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Having determinate limitations; exactly or sharply defined or stated; definite; exact; nice; not vague or equivocal; as, precise rules of morality. The law in this point is not precise. Bacon. For the hour precise Exacts our parting hence. Milton.

Implying actual presence; present, immediate. [Obs.] God's mercy is made presential to us. Jer. Taylor. -- Pre*sen"tial*ly, adv. [Obs.]

To drive with violence; to hurry; to urge on; to ply hard; as, to press a horse in a race. The posts . . . went cut, being hastened and pressed on, by the king's commandment. Esther viii. 14.

To suppose beforehand; to imply as antecedent; to take for granted; to assume; as, creation presupposes a creator. Each [kind of knowledge] presupposes many necessary things learned in other sciences, and known beforehand. Hooker.

A going before; anticipation in sequence or order. "The law of prevenance is simply the well-known law of phenomenal sequence." Ward.

a horse or dog; and usually followed by up; -- hence, to prick up the ears, to listen sharply; to have the attention and interest strongly engaged. "The courser . . . pricks up his ears." Dryden.

which is to receive and modify force and motion as supplied by some natural source, and apply them to drive other machines; as a water wheel, a water- pressure engine, a steam engine, a hot-air engine, etc. (c) Fig.: The original or the most effective force in any undertaking or work; as, Clarkson was the prime mover i…

Implying privation or negation; giving a negative force to a word; as, alpha privative; privative particles; -- applied to such prefixes and suffixes as a- (Gr. un-, non-, -less.

Private knowledge; joint knowledge with another of a private concern; cognizance implying consent or concurrence. All the doors were laid open for his departure, not without the privity of the Prince of Orange. Swift.

Characterized by intensity; deeply felt; pervading; overmastering; far-reaching; strongly impressed; as, a profound sleep. "Profound sciatica." Shak. Of the profound corruption of this class there can be no doubt. Milman.

Abundance; exuberant plenty; lavish supply; as, a profusion of commodities. Addison.

Tending to prohibit, forbid, or exclude; implying prohibition; forbidding; as, a prohibitory law; a prohibitory price. Prohibitory index. (R. C. Ch.) See under Index.

Making a promise; implying a promise; promising. [R.]

To cause to continue or multiply by generation, or successive production; -- applied to animals and plants; as, to propagate a breed of horses or sheep; to propagate a species of fruit tree.

r lord, and yet all are for her provisions, it being a part of his need to refresh and supply hers. Jer. Taylor.

To supply with provender or provisions; to provide for. [Obs.] Nash.

To supply; to afford; to contribute. Bring me berries, or such cooling fruit As the kind, hospitable woods provide. Milton.

Foreseeing wants and making provision to supply them; prudent in preparing for future exigencies; cautious; economical; -- sometimes followed by of; as, aprovident man; an animal provident of the future. And of our good and of our dignity, How provident he is. Milton.

To supply with food; to victual; as, to provision a garrison. They were provisioned for a journey. Palfrey.

inspect closely; to attempt to discover something by a scrutinizing curiosity; -- often implying reproach. " To pry upon the stars." Chaucer. Watch thou and wake when others be asleep, To pry into the secrets of the state. Shak.