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Worthy to be preferred or chosen before something else; more desirable; as, a preferable scheme. Addison.

The act of Preferring, or the state of being preferred; the setting of one thing before another; precedence; higher estimation; predilection; choice; also, the power or opportunity of choosing; as, to give him his preference. Leave the critics on either side to contend about the preference due to this or that sort of p…

osing, or the state of being chosen; preference. [R.] Natural preferment of the one . . . before the other. Sir T. Browne.

Trusting beforehand; hence, overconfident. [Obs.] Baxter.

To limit beforehand. [Obs.] Knolles.

To put or fix before, or at the beginning of, another thing; as, to prefix a syllable to a word, or a condition to an agreement.

To form beforehand, or for special ends. "Their natures and preformed faculties. " Shak.

Tasting beforehand; having a foretaste. [R.] Ed. Rev.

The act of tasting beforehand; foretaste. [R.] Dr. Walker (1678).

Of or pertaining to a period before written history begins; as, the prehistoric ages; prehistoric man.

Ignition in an internal-combustion engine while the inlet valve is open or before compression is completed.

To render indisposed beforehand. Milman.

To instruct previously or beforehand. Dr. H. More.

Previous intimation; a suggestion beforehand. T. Scott.

To judge before hearing, or before full and sufficient examination; to decide or sentence by anticipation; to condemn beforehand. The committee of council hath prejudged the whole case, by calling the united sense of both houses of Parliament" a universal clamor." Swift.

The act of prejudging; decision before sufficient examination.

Formed before due examination. "Ignorance and prejudicate opinions." Jer. Taylor.

anything; especially, an opinion or leaning adverse to anything, without just grounds, or before sufficient knowledge. Though often misled by prejudice and passion, he was emphatically an honest man. Macaulay.

A. tasting beforehand, or by anticipation; a foretaste; as, a prelibation of heavenly bliss.

ory; as, the preliminaries to a negotiation or duel; to take one's preliminaries the year before entering college.