prerogative 
It hapned that the centurlc of the younger sort was 
drawn out first by lot, and had the prerogative, and by 
their voices nominated T Octaciliux nd M. Kmilm, Ke- 
- illu* for consuls. Uullatui, tr. of I.iv\, p. 613. 
2. A peculiar privilege; a characteristic right 
inhering in one's nature ; a special property or 
quality. 
Of the hresyle and mirobalane trees, with other Innu- 
merable prerugaliues and benefltes whiche nature hath 
plentifully giuen to this blessed Hand, we haue spoken 
-nit v'i'-nt h in owr decades. 
/'''/ Martyr (tr. in Eden's First Books on America, e<l. 
I A rlu T, p. 199). 
.She 's free as you or I am, and may have, 
By that prerogative, a liberal choice 
In the bestowing of her love. 
H.-IIH. and Ft., Captain, It. 2. 
Man, whose prerogative it is to be In a great degree a 
creature of his own making. Burke, Rev. In France. 
Our fair one, in the playful exercise 
Of her i> >> n'ti" the right divine 
Of youth and beauty bade us versify 
The legend. Whittier, Bridal of Pennacook. 
3. Specifically, a privilege inherent in one's 
office or position ; an official right; an exclusive 
or sovereign privilege, in theory subject to no 
restriction or interference, but practically often 
limited by other similar rights or prerogatives; 
more specific-ally still, the royal prerogative. 
As if those gifts had bin only his peculiar and Preroga- 
tive, IntaU'd upon him with hU fortune to be a King. 
Miltini, Eikonoklastes, I. 
The king hath a prerogative to coin money without con- 
sent of parliament; but he cannot compel the subject to 
take that money, except it be sterling gold or silver, be- 
cause herein he is limited liy law. 
t'. To the People of Ireland, Iv. 
A constitution where the prince Is clothed with R pre- 
rogative that enables him to do all the good he hath a 
mind to. /.'/. .(!> iliin-ii. Sermons, I. vll. 
Rutherford says, prerogative simply means a power or 
will which Is discretionary and aliove and uncontrolled by 
any other will ; the term is frequently used to express the 
uncontrolled will of the sovereign power in the State. It 
is applied not only to the king but also to the legislative 
and judicial branches of a government, as, "the royal pre- 
rogatives^' the " prerogatives of parliament," tile "prcrvga- 
Kvti of tliL- court," etc. 
llallrck, International Law (new !.), I. 125. 
4f. Precedence ; superiority in power, rank, or 
quality. 
Then give me leave to have prerogative. 
Skat., T. of the S., ill. I.e. 
Within Is a country that may hane the prerogaKue over 
the most pleasant places knowne, for large and pleasant 
navigable Rivers. Capt, John Smith, Works, I. 114. 
6. In New Jersey, a court held by the chancel- 
lor sitting as ordinary in probate and similar 
causes. Royal prerogative, that special preeminence 
which a sovereign has over all other persons, and out of 
the course of the common law, by rignt of regal dignity. 
In Great Britain the royal prerogative includes the right 
of sending and receiving ambassadors, of making treaties, 
and (theoretically) of making war and concluding peace, 
of summoning Parliament, and of refusing assent to a 
bill, with many other political, judicial, ecclesiastical, etc., 
privileges. The royal prerogative Is usually exercised by 
delegation, and only in a few cases (as the conferring of 
honors) In person. = Byn. 2 and S. Immunity, etc. See 
privilege. 
prerogative (pre-rog'a-tiv), v. t. ; pret. and pp. 
prertigatireil, ppr. prerogatiring. [* prerogative, 
n.~\ To endow with a prerogative. 
Yet, 'tis the plague of great ones ; 
Preroyatived are they less than the base. 
Shale., Othello, HL 3. 274. 
prerogatively (pre-rog'a-tiv-li), adr. By ex- 
clusive or peculiar privilege. Imp, I>ict. 
prest, " and r. A Middle Euglish form of 
4600 
The o'erflowing Nilus premgeth famine. 
Shot.. A and r., L -'. 49. 
Hippocrates wisely considered dreams as they pmtflt 
alterations in the body. Sir T. Brown*, To a Friend. 
A sound In [r presay'd approaching rain, 
And beasts to covert scud across the plain. 
1'arneU, The Hermit 
Tin- sharp heat-lightnings of her face 
Presaging ill to him whom Fate 
Condemned to sliare her love or hate. 
tfl:ilti.r, Snow-Bound. 
2. To have a presentiment or prophetic im- 
pression of; forebode. 
My mind pretageth happy gain and conquest 
SAoJr., S Hen. VI., T. 1. 71. 
"Dishonour!" then my soul is cleft with fear; 
I half prrmje my misery : say on. 
Ford, Love's Sacrifice, III. 3. 
With heavy hearts presaging nothing good. 
William Morra, Earthly Paradise, II. 22. 
3. To foretell; predict; calculate beforehand. 
I see that come to pass which I presaged In the begin- 
ning. /;. Jvtuon, Cynthia's Revels, v. 3. 
Hear 
What I preiaye with understanding clear. 
Deleter and ford. Sun's Darling, v. 1. 
Lands he could measure, terms and tides presage. 
Qotdnmth, Des. VII.,' 1. 209. 
4f. To point out. 
Then seek this path that I to thee presage, 
Which after all to heaven shall thee send. 
Spenser, V. <> , I. x. 61. 
= Byn. S. Predict, Prophesy, etc. See foretell. 
II. intrans. To nave a presentiment of the 
future ; have foreknowledge. 
What power of mind, 
Foreseeing or presaging, . . . could have fear'd 
How such united force of gods, how such 
As stood like these, could ever know repulse? 
Milton, P. L., I. 627. 
That by certain signs we may premge 
Of beats and rains, and wind's Impetuous rage. 
trryden, tr. of Virgil's Ueorglcs, I. 4(13. 
presage (pres'Sj or pre'saj; formerly also pre- 
saj'), n. [< OF. presage, V. presage = Sp. I'g. 
It. prtxagio, < L. prtesagium, a presentiment, a 
prognostic, < priesagire, feel or jterceive before- 
hand: see presage, v.] 1. Something which 
foreshows, portends, or gives warning of a fu- 
ture event; a prognostic; an omen. 
presbyterated 
O, let my books be then the eloquence 
And dumb presaoers of my speaking breast 
Shot., SomieU, xxlil. 
presagiet, . [< L. preesagium, a presage: see 
presage, M.] Same as prestige. 
Thlnke Hum this Is a presaaie of Ood's fearce wrath to thee. 
If that thou cleave not to his woord, and eke repentant be. 
Stubbet, Two Example* (1581). (A'crrw.) 
presagioust, a. [< presage (L. prasagiwm) + 
-oiw.J Ominous; presageful. 
Some supernatural cause sent me strange visions, which 
being continued with presagious chances, I had gone to 
Delphoa. Sir P. Sidney, Arcadia, II. 
presanctlfy (pre-sangk'ti-fi), r. t. ; pret. and pp. 
presa nctijied, ppr. presatictifyina. K pre- + 
sanctify.} To consecrate beforehand Liturgy 
or Mass of the Presanctifled. See liturgy. 
presandet, n. A Middle Euglish form otpresenft. 
presartorial (pre - sar- to'ri - al), a. [< L. pr, 
before, + sartor, a tailor: see sartorial.] Be- 
fore the age of tailoring ; previous to the use of 
fashioned garments. 
Bran had its prophets, and the presartorial simplicity of 
Adam its martyrs, tailored impromptu from the tar-pot of 
incensed neighbors, and sent forth to illustrate the "fea- 
thered Meicury " as defined by Webster and Worcester. 
Loicell, Study Windows, p. 1U3. 
presbyope (pres'bi-op), M. [< NL. presbyopia. ] 
One who is affected with presbyopia; one who 
is long-sighted ; a presbyte. 
presbyopia (pres-bi-d'pi-a), . [NL., < Gr. K/XO- 
fivf, old, *- i/V, eye.] Diminished power of ac- 
commodation for uear objects, incident to ad- 
vancing years, and due to progressive loss of 
elasticity in the crystalline lens. 
presbyopic (pres-bi-op'ik), . [< presbyopia + 
-ic.] Pertaining to presbyopia; affected with 
presbyopia; old-sighted. 
presbyopy(pres'bi-6-pi), n. [< NL. presbyopia.] 
Same as prenbyopia. 
Presbypiihecus (prcs'bi-pi-the'kus), M. [NL., 
< (ir. me'<T,ltf , old, + iri'0r/kof, an ape.] A syno- 
nym of Scmnopi Hit CHS. Troiicssart, 187!). 
presbyte (pres'bit), n. [= F. presbyte = Sp. 
presbita, presbete = Pg. presln/ta = It. presbita, 
prrsbite, < Or. irpceiiiriK, an old man, < jrpf<r/Jt>f, 
old. ('f. presbyter.] A person affected with 
presbyopia. 
presbyter (pres'bi-ter), . [= V.presbylere = 
Sn.presMtero = Pg. prexbytero = I), presbyter. 
pres. An abbreviation (n) of present; (b) [cap.] 
of 1'rt'xuleHt. 
presa (prii'zji), n. [It., a taking: see prize*.] 
In a musical canon, a mark to indicate the point 
at which the successive voice-parts re to take 
up the theme : a lead. It has various shapes, 
as h'i -T, JS, etc. 
presacral (pre-sa'kral), a. [< L. pret, before, 
+ NL. sacrum: see saeral.] Preceding the 
sacrum in the spinal column ; situated in front 
of the sacral vertebrae, as a vertebra ; lumbar. 
The lumbar region contains the pre-sacral group of ver- 
tebne, which have only short ribs. 
Geyenbaur, Comp. Anat. (trims.), p. 434. 
presage (pre-saj'). '': pret. and pp. presaged, 
ppr. presaging. [< OP. presagicr = Sp. Pg. pre- 
xagiar( < ML.*j>ra>./;/mre, < li.prtesayium, a pres- 
age) = It. pri:iaitiri; < L. prjesagire, feel or per- 
ceive beforehand, presage, foreshow (also LL. 
prtenaiiare. < L. pnrxaijiis. foreshowing, presag- 
ing), </'/<('. before. 4- fiiiiin; feel : see xiii/in-ioiix.] 
I. tranx. 1. To foreshow or foretoken; signify 
beforehainl. us l>y ;m omen or prognostic; give 
warning of. 
Meteors, prodigies and signs, 
Abortives, presaqex, and tongnvs of heaven, xS / CT <*i ^ ij * *--- 
Plainly denouncing vengeance upon John. < ^L. presbyter, ail elder, esp. an elder or pres- 
Shalc., K. John, lit 4. 168. byter in the church, < Gr. Kpeoptirtpof, an elder, 
prop, adj., older, compar. of irpeafivf, old. Cf. 
priest, derived through AS., and presler 1 , de- 
rived through OF., from the same ult. source.] 
1. An elder; a priest; specifically, in hierar- 
chic churches, a minister of the second order, 
between the bishop and the deacon. 
They that speak ingeniously of Bishops and Presbyteri 
say that a Bishop is a great Presbyter, and, during the 
time of his being Bishop, above a Presbyter. 
Selden, Table-Talk, p. 27. 
F.pyscopacy, as It Is taken for an Order In the Church 
aliove a Presbyter, or, as wee commonly name him, the 
Minister of a Congregation, is either of Divine constitu- 
tion or of humane. Hilton, Prelatical Episcopacy. 
New Presbyter Is but Old Priest writ large. 
Milton, New Forcers of Conscience, 1. 20. 
2f. [.cap.] A Presbyterian. [Bare.] 
And presbyter* have their jackpuddlngs too. S. Butler. 
3. In :odl.. a monkey of the genus 1'resbyteg. 
presbyteral (pres-bit'er-al), . [= F. presby- 
teral = Sp. presbiteral = It. presbiterale, per- 
taining to the priesthood ; as presbyter + -/.] 
Relating to a presbyter or presbytery; presby- 
terial. 
There Is no Indication that he [Ignatius) Is upholding 
the episcopal against any other form of Church govern- 
ment, as, for Instance, the presbyteral. 
Bp. Lightjoot, Apostolic Fathers, I. 306. 
It Is quite probable that the members of the presbyteral 
college distributed the various duties of their office among 
themselves according to their respective talents, tastes, 
experience, and convenience. 
Schaf, Hist Christ Church, I. I 61. 
presbyterate (pres-bit'er-at), . [= Sp. pres- 
biterado, prrsbiterato = Pg. presbyter-ado, pres- 
bi/terato = It. prcsbiterato, < LL. presbyterattit, 
the office of a presbyter, < preslryter, a presby- 
ter: see presbyter.] 1. The office or station of 
a presbyter. 
The presbyterate, as a distinct order from the ordinary 
office of apostleship, Is not of Divine Institution. 
Jer. Taylor, Works (ed. 18S5X IX isa 
2. A presbytery. 
Meetings of the bishop and the presbyterate of every dio- 
cese, the oldest and simplest form of ecclesiastical organi- 
sation. It. W. Dixon, Hist Church of Eng., xix. 
presbyterated (pres-liit'er-a-ted). a. [< prt.<- 
bi/ti-niti- + -i/r-.\ Organized with a govern- 
ment by ciders or presbyters. 
He had before him the sad presage of his 111 success. 
Hilton, Eikonoklastes, v. 
They [violent storms] give certain Presages of their be- 
ing at hand several hours before they come. 
Dampier, Voyages, II. til. GO. 
2. Aforeboding; a presentiment; afeelingthat 
something is to happen; a prophetic impres- 
sion. 
The sad augurs mock their own presage. 
Shot., Sonnets, cvIL 
She will call 
That three-days-long presageful gloom of yours 
^o presage, but the same mistrustful moou 
That makes you seem less noble than yourself. 
Tennymn, Merlin and Vivien. 
3. Foreknowledge; prescience. 
If there be aught of presage In the mind, 
This day will be remarkable in my life. 
Milton, H. A., LUST. 
Many a famous man and woman, town 
And landsklp, have I heard of, after seen 
The dwarfs of presage. Tennyson, ITiiiceas, Iv. 
4. Prophetic significance or import. 
This dreadful Conflict Is of dire Presage; 
Begone, and fly from Jove's Impending Rage. 
Cungrete, Semele, L 1. 
= Syn. 1. Sign, Augury, etc. See cnnen and foretell. 
presageful (ures'aj-ful or pre-saj'ful), a. [< 
presage, n., + -/?.] 1. Full of presage; pro- 
phetic; ominous. 
It comes to us like the Drat sounding of a presageful note 
of doom, repeated more than once before the Anal calamity. 
E. Dovden, Shelley, I. 227. 
2. Prophetic ; foreknowing. 
F.v'n such a ware, but not so pleasurable, 
Dark In the glass of some presageful mood, 
Had I for three days seen, ready to fall. 
TninyKin, Merlin and Vivien. 
Johnson had not that Hue sensitiveness to the political 
atmosphere which made Burke presageful of coming tem- 
pest LmreU, Among my Books, 1st ser., p. 353. 
presagement (pre-saj'ment), n. [< presage, r., 
+ -mm?.] 1. A foreboding; omen; presage. 
I have spent some enquiry whether he had any ominous 
presagement before his end. 
Sir a. Wotion, Rrliqnue, p. 234. 
2. A foretelling; prediction. 
presager (pre-sa'jer), n. [< presage, r..+ -<?(!.] 
One who presages or foretells: a prophet. 
