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The act of postponing; a deferring, or putting off, to a future time; a temporary delay. Macaulay.

can not always be contemplative, diligent, or pragmatical, abroad; but have need of some delightful intermissions. Milton. Low, pragmatical, earthly views of the gospel. Hare.

the gospel; to discourse publicly on a religious subject, or from a text of Scripture; to deliver a sermon. How shall they preach, except they be sent Rom. x. 15. From that time Jesus began to preach. Matt. iv. 17.

The act of delivering a religious discourse; the art of sermonizing; also, a sermon; a public religious discourse; serious, earnest advice. Milner. Preaching cross, a cross, sometimes surmounting a pulpit, erected out of doors to designate a preaching place. -- Preaching friars. See Dominican.

Lacking due deliberation or care; hurried; said or done before the time; as, a precipitate measure. "The rapidity of our too precipitate course." Landor.

Previous deliberation.

Previous delineation.

To think, consider, deliberate, or revolve in the mind, beforehand.

The act of meditating or contriving beforehand; previous deliberation; forethought.

To deliberate beforehand. [Obs.]

llowers of the painters before Raphael. Its adherents advocate careful study from nature, delicacy and minuteness of workmanship, and an exalted and delicate conception of the subject.

Not delayed; immediate; instant; coincident. "A present recompense." "A present pardon." Shak. An ambassador . . . desires a present audience. Massinger.

At once; without delay; forthwith; also, less definitely, soon; shortly; before long; after a little while; by and by. Shak. And presently the fig tree withered away. Matt. xxi. 19.

Setting forth to view; delineation; appearance; representation; exhibition. Power to cheat the eye with blear illusion, And give it false presentment. Milton.

Delusion; illusion; trick. [Obs.] The sophisms of infidelity, and the prestiges of imposture. Bp. Warburton.

reason; pretext; feint. Let not the Trojans, with a feigned pretense Of proffered peace, delude the Latian prince. Dryden.

Pleasing by delicacy or grace; attracting, but not striking or impressing; of a pleasing and attractive form a color; having slight or diminutive beauty; neat or elegant without elevation or grandeur; pleasingly, but not grandly, conceived or expressed; as, a pretty face; a pretty flower; a pretty poem. This is the pre…

; lofty self-respect; noble self-esteem; elevation of character; dignified bearing; proud delight; -- in a good sense. Thus to relieve the wretched was his pride. Goldsmith. A people which takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remo…

ream, or a place affording such advantage. [ U. S.] -- Writ of privilege (Law), a writ to deliver a privileged person from custody when arrested in a civil suit. Blackstone.

ing seized by force, stratagem, or superior power. I will depart my pris, or may prey, by deliberation. Chaucer. His own prize, Whom formerly he had in battle won. Spenser.