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(Law), a payment made for the privilege of bringing goods into port. -- Port warden, the officer in charge of a port; a harbor master.

Hence: The office and functions of a minister of state or member of the cabinet; as, to receive the portfolio of war; to resign the portfolio.

Relative place or standing; social or official rank; as, a person of position; hence, office; post; as, to lose one's position.

nmental system in any country for carrying and distributing letters and parcels; the post office; the mail; hence, the carriage by which the mail is transported. I send you the fair copy of the poem on dullness, which I should not care to hazard by the common post. Pope.

Belonging to the post office or mail service; as, postal arrangements; postal authorities. Postal card, or Post card, a card sold by the government for transmission through the mails, at a lower rate of postage than a sealed letter. The message is written on one side of the card, and the direction on the other. -- Pos…

A house for distributing the malls; a post office.

The mark, or stamp, of a post office on a letter, giving the place and date of mailing or of arrival.

One who has charge of a post office, and the distribution and forwarding of mails.

The chief officer of the post-office department of a government. In the United States the postmaster-general is a member of the cabinet.

The office of postmaster.

See under 4th Post.

The sum allowed to a sheriff or other officer upon the amount realized by an execution; -- estimated in England, and formerly in the United States, at so much of the pound. Burrill. Bouvier.

A paper containing the particulars of a writ, lodged in the office out of which the writ is to be issued. Wharton.

ly, busy in an objectionable way; officious; fussy and positive; meddlesome. "Pragmatical officers of justice." Sir W. Scott. The fellow grew so pragmatical that he took upon him the government of my whole family. Arbuthnot.

The office of a preacher. "The preachership of the Rolls." Macaulay.

The office of a prebendary.

To invest with the office of prebendary; to present to a prebend. [Obs.] Grafton.

The office of a precentor.

One who precedes; one who has preceded another in any state, position, office, etc.; one whom another follows or comes after, in any office or position. A prince who was as watchful as his predecessor had been over the interests of the state. Prescott.

A Roman officer who controlled or superintended a particular command, charge, department, etc.; as, the prefect of the aqueducts; the prefect of a camp, of a fleet, of the city guard, of provisions; the pretorian prefect, who was commander of the troops guarding the emperor's person.