<B>prescience, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD> knowledge of things before they exist or happen; foreknowledge; foresight. <BR> <I>Ex. People used to believe that animals have an instinctive prescience of the approach of danger. The day Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated at Sarajevo, Mussolini, with quite a bit of prescience, remarked ... that it looked like the start of a major European war (New Yorker).</I> </DL>
<A NAME="prescient">
<B>prescient, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD> knowing beforehand; foreseeing. <BR> <I>Ex. the sharks ... following them in the same prescient way that vultures hover over the banners of marching regiments (Herman Melville).</I> adv. <B>presciently.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="prescind">
<B>prescind, </B>transitive verb.<DL COMPACT><DD> to cut off, detach, or separate from. </DL>
<A NAME="prescribe">
<B>prescribe, </B>verb, <B>-scribed,</B> <B>-scribing.</B><DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to lay down as a rule to be followed; order; direct. <BR> <I>Ex. Good citizens do what the laws prescribe.</I> (SYN) command, assign, set, appoint, ordain, enjoin. <DD><B> 2. </B>to order as medicine or treatment. <BR> <I>Ex. The doctor prescribed a complete rest for her.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Law.) to make invalid or outlawed because of the passage of time. <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to lay down a rule or rules; dictate; direct. <BR> <I>Ex. to do as the law prescribes.</I> (SYN) command, assign, set, appoint, ordain, enjoin. <DD><B> 2. </B>to give medical advice; issue a prescription. <DD><B> 3. </B>(Law.) to claim a right or title to something by virtue of long use and enjoyment of it. <DD><B> 4. </B>(in Scots law) to become invalid because of the passage of time. noun <B>prescriber.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="prescript">
<B>prescript, </B>noun, adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>noun </I> that which is prescribed; rule; order; direction. <DD><I>adj. </I> prescribed; ordained; appointed. </DL>
<A NAME="prescriptible">
<B>prescriptible, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>liable to prescription. <DD><B> 2. </B>derived from or founded on prescription. </DL>
<A NAME="prescription">
<B>prescription, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the act of prescribing. <DD><B> 2. </B>something prescribed; order; direction. <BR> <I>Ex. (Figurative.) He was carrying no "prescription" for peace in the Far East in his mission to Peiping (New York Times).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>a written direction or order given by a doctor or dentist for preparing and using a medicine. <BR> <I>Ex. a prescription for a cough. Their task ... is to make a quick diagnosis--take a case history, make a physical examination, write a prescription (Time).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>the medicine. <DD><B> 5. </B>(Law.) <DD><B> a. </B>possession or use of a thing long enough to give a right or title to it. <BR> <I>Ex. to claim a right by prescription, to acquire a thing by prescription.</I> <DD><B> b. </B>the right or title so established. <DD><B> c. </B>the process of so establishing a right or title. <DD><B> d. </B>a limitation of the time within which a claim may be made or an action brought; negative prescription. </DL>
<A NAME="prescriptive">
<B>prescriptive, </B>adjective.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>prescribing. <BR> <I>Ex. In his [Johnson's] concept of a descriptive rather than prescriptive dictionary he discovered what the twentieth century takes for granted (Saturday Review).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>depending on legal prescription. <BR> <I>Ex. a prescriptive title.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>established by long use or custom. <BR> <I>Ex. the prescriptive respectability of a family with a mural monument and venerable tankards (George Eliot).</I> adv. <B>prescriptively.</B> noun <B>prescriptiveness.</B> </DL>
<A NAME="presence">
<B>presence, </B>noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><B> 1. </B>the fact or condition of being present in a place. <BR> <I>Ex. "Liberal" intellectuals and "conservative" politicians both shared the unthinking assumption ... that the American "presence" abroad is by definition always good (Manchester Guardian Weekly).</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>the place where a person is. <BR> <I>Ex. The messenger was admitted to my grandfather's presence.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>formal attendance upon a person of very high rank. <BR> <I>Ex. The knight retired from the royal presence.</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>appearance; bearing. <BR> <I>Ex. The king was a man of noble presence.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>something present, especially a ghost, spirit, or the like. <BR> <I>Ex. She really felt drawn to worship him, as if he were the shrine ... of that Presence to which he bore such solemn witness (Cardinal Newman).</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>the feeling or illusion of being in the place in which sound originated rather than listening to a recording of it. <BR> <I>Ex. They have the benefit of the latest techniques ... mostly in the intangible matter of "projection," or "presence" (Musical America).</I> <DD><B> 7. </B>a living person, especially one of very high rank. <BR> <I>Ex. Slowly passed that august Presence Down the thronged and shouting street (John Greenleaf Whittier).</I> <DD><B> 8. </B>(Obsolete.) an assembly, especially of people of high rank; company. <BR> <I>Ex. Here is like to be a good presence of Worthies (Shakespeare).</I> <DD><B> 9. </B>(Obsolete.) a presence chamber. <BR><I>expr. <B>in the presence of,</B> </I>in the sight or company of. <BR> <I>Ex. in the presence of danger. He signed his name in the presence of two witnesses.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>saving your presence,</B> </I>with an apology for doing or saying this in your presence. <BR> <I>Ex. Some of the members of your organization are unscrupulous schemers, saving your presence.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="presencechamber">
<B>presence chamber,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the room in which a king or some very important person receives guests. </DL>
<A NAME="presenceofmind">
<B>presence of mind,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> the ability to think calmly and quickly when taken by surprise. </DL>
<A NAME="presenceroom">
<B>presence room,</B><DL COMPACT><DD> a presence chamber. </DL>
<A NAME="present">
<B>present</B> (1), adjective, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>adj. </I> <B>1. </B>being in the place or thing in question; at hand, not absent. <BR> <I>Ex. Every member of the class was present. Oxygen is present in the air.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>at this time; being or occurring now; current. <BR> <I>Ex. present prices, the present ruler. Let this great truth be present night and day (Alexander Pope).</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>(Grammar.) of or expressing the present tense. <BR> <I>Ex. The present forms of "ate" and "smiled" are "eat" and "smile."</I> <DD> (Abbr:) pr. <DD><B> 4. </B>(Obsolete.) <DD><B> a. </B>attentive. <DD><B> b. </B>having presence of mind; self-possessed. <DD><B> c. </B>prompt to act; ready. <BR> <I>Ex. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalms 46:1).</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>(Obsolete.) immediate. <DD><I>noun </I> <B>1. </B>(Grammar.) <DD><B> a. </B>the present tense. <DD><B> b. </B>a verb form or verbal phrase in that tense. <DD><B> 2. </B>(Obsolete.) the thing or person that is present; affair in hand; present occasion. <BR><I>expr. <B>at present,</B> </I>at the present time; now. <BR> <I>Ex. At present people need courage.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>by these presents,</B> </I>by these words; by this document. <BR> <I>Ex. know all men by these presents.</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>the present,</B> </I>the time being; this time; now. <BR> <I>Ex. That will be enough for the present. The present is only a second away from the past.</I> </DL>
<A NAME="present">
<B>present</B> (2), verb, noun.<DL COMPACT><DD><I>v.t. </I> <B>1. </B>to give. <BR> <I>Ex. to present a book as a prize to the winner. They presented flowers to their teacher.</I> <DD><B> 2. </B>to offer; offer formally. <BR> <I>Ex. The servant presented the tray of sandwiches to each guest.</I> <DD><B> 3. </B>to bring before the mind; offer for consideration. <BR> <I>Ex. He presented reasons for his action. She presented her ideas to the committee. Augustin Thierry ... had presented the Norman Conquest in terms of a class struggle between the conquerors and the Saxons (Edmund Wilson).</I> <DD><B> 4. </B>to offer to view or notice. <BR> <I>Ex. The new library presents a fine appearance.</I> <DD><B> 5. </B>to bring before the public; give a public performance of. <BR> <I>Ex. Our school presented a play.</I> <DD><B> 6. </B>to set forth in words. <BR> <I>Ex. The speaker presented arguments for his side.</I> <DD><B> 7. </B>to hand in; send in. <BR> <I>Ex. The grocer presented his bill.</I> <DD><B> 8. </B>to introduce (one person to another); make acquainted; bring (a person) before somebody; introduce formally. <BR> <I>Ex. She was presented at court. Miss Smith, may I present Mr. Brown?</I> <DD><B> 9. </B>to direct; point; turn. <BR> <I>Ex. The soldier presented his face to the enemy. The handsome actor presented his profile to the camera.</I> <DD><B> 10. </B>to aim or salute with (a weapon). <DD><B> 11. </B>to recommend (a clergyman) for a benefice. <DD><B> 12. </B>(Law.) <DD><B> a. </B>to bring a formal charge against (a person, etc.). <DD><B> b. </B>to bring (an offense or any violation) to the notice of a court, magistrate, or person in authority. <DD><B> 13. </B>(Archaic.) to represent (a character) on the stage. <DD><I>v.i. </I> <B>1. </B>to point, face, or project in a particular direction. <DD><B> 2. </B>to aim or level a weapon. <DD><B> 3. </B>to present a clergyman for a benefice. <DD><I>noun </I> something given; gift. <BR> <I>Ex. I can make no marriage present; Little can I give my wife (Tennyson).</I> <BR><I>expr. <B>present with,</B> </I>to give to; furnish with (something as a gift). <BR> <I>Ex. Our class presented the school with a picture.</I> </DL>
