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Going before; -- opposed to following.

Cited before, in the preceding part of a book or writing.

of any place about three minutes fifty-six seconds of solar time earlier than on the day preceding. -- Acceleration of the planets, the increasing velocity of their motion, in proceeding from the apogee to the perigee of their orbits.

Having each verse begin with the same letter as that with which the preceding verse ends.

At, to, or from a great distance; far away; -- often used with from preceding, or off following; as, he was seen from afar; I saw him afar off. The steep where Fame's proud temple shines afar. Beattie.

Said before, or in a preceding part; already described or identified.

r all, when everything has been considered; upon the whole. -- After (with the same noun preceding and following), as, wave after wave, day after day, several or many (waves, etc.) successively. -- One after another, successively. -- To be after, to be in pursuit of in order to reach or get; as, he is after money.…

the small notes occur on the unaccented parts of the measure, taking their time from the preceding note.

to its arrival at a given place. -- Moon's age, the time that has elapsed since the last preceding conjunction of the sun and moon.

A preceding act.

Antecedent; preceding in time. "Capable of antecedaneous proof." Barrow.

Going before in time; prior; anterior; preceding; as, an event antecedent to the Deluge; an antecedent cause.

Previously; before in time; at a time preceding; as, antecedently to conversion. Barrow.

Preceding marriage; as, an antenuptial agreement. Kent.

Preceding dinner.

The state of being anterior or preceding in time or in situation; priority. Pope.

The commencing of one or more tones of a chord with or during the chord preceding, forming a momentary discord.

A passing tone preceding an essential tone, and borrowing the time it occupies from that; a short auxiliary or grace note one degree above or below the principal note unless it be of the same harmony; -- generally indicated by a note of smaller size, as in the illustration above. It forms no essential part of the harmo…

A northern constellation southerly from Lyra and Cygnus and preceding the Dolphin; the Eagle. Aquila alba Etym: [L., white eagle], an alchemical name of calomel. Brande & C.

Of or pertaining to the earliest Stone age; -- applied to a prehistoric period preceding the Paleolithic age.