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a back door or gate; a private entrance; hence, any small door or gate. He by a privy postern took his flight. Spenser. Out at the postern, by the abbey wall. Shak.

Of or pertaining to potters. Pottern ore, a species of ore which, from its aptness to vitrify like the glazing of potter's wares, the miners call by this name. Boyle.

Same as Preoral, Prepubis, Prescapula, etc.

Infinite previous duration. [R.] "The world's preëternity." Cudworth.

The anterior segment of the sternum; the manubrium. -- Pre*ster"nal, a.

miraculous; strange; inexplicable; extraordinary; uncommon; irregular; abnormal; as, a preternatural appearance; a preternatural stillness; a preternatural presentation (in childbirth) or labor. This vile and preternatural temper of mind. South.

The state of being preternatural; a preternatural condition.

Preternaturalness. [R.] Dr. John Smith.

In a preternatural manner or degree. Bacon.

The quality or state of being preternatural.

Dejection; depression. [Obs.] Wiseman.

The ventral plate of the prothorax of an insect.

A loaf of bread weighing about four pounds; -- called also quartern loaf. Simmonds.

Later than, or subsequent to, the Tertiary; Post-tertiary; as, the Quaternary age, or Age of man.

Composed of, or arranged in, sets of four; quaternary; as, quaternate leaves.

group of four words, phrases, circumstances, facts, or the like. Delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers. Acts xii. 4. Ye elements, the eldest birth Of Nature's womb, that in quaternion run. Milton. The triads and quaternions with which he loaded his sentences. Sir W. Scott.

The number four. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

A building or place where salt is made by boiling or by evaporation; salt works.

A white wine made in the district of sauterne, France.

Without beginning or end; eternal. Blackmore.