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ation, or of depression; the stock fell off five points; he won by tenpoints. "A point of precedence." Selden. "Creeping on from point to point." Tennyson. A lord full fat and in good point. Chaucer.

One of the two most experienced barristers in the Court of Exchequer, who have precedence in motions; -- so called from the place where he sits. The other of the two is called the tubman. Whishaw.

To place after, behind, or below something, in respect to precedence, preference, value, or importance. All other considerations should give way and be postponed to this. Locke.

a certain extent, supposes the other; theory is dependent on practice; practice must have preceded theory. Sir W. Hamilton.

A prefix denoting priority (of time, place, or rank); as, precede, to go before; precursor, a forerunner; prefix, to fix or place before; preëminent eminent before or above others. Pre- is sometimes used intensively, as in prepotent, very potent. [Written also præ-.]

A walking or going before; precedence. [R.]

Precedence of rank at the bar among lawyers. Blackstone.

each day than the point it would have occupied without the motion of precession, and thus precedes that point continually with reference to the time of transit and motion.

One who, or that which, precedes an event, and indicates its approach; a forerunner; a harbinger. Evil thoughts are the invisible, airy precursors of all the storms and tempests of the soul. Buckminster.

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.

ers; 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.

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 poetry.…

Giving, indicating, or having a preference or precedence; as, a preferential claim; preferential shares.

A previous treatment and decision of a point; a precedent.

That which precedes the main discourse, work, design, or business; something introductory or preparatory; as, the preliminaries to a negotiation or duel; to take one's preliminaries the year before entering college.

To serve as prelude to; to precede as introductory. [Music] preluding some great tragedy. Longfellow

express the grantor and grantee, and the land or thing granted or conveyed, and all that precedes the habendum; the thing demised or granted.

A notice or notion which precedes something else in time; previous notion or thought; foreknowledge. Bacon.

Precedence; preëminence; first rank. [Obs.] Then give me leave to have prerogative. Shak.

Precedent. [Obs.] Bacon.