Word origins

• precocialHatched from the egg already covered in down and with eyes open; capable of leaving the nest within a few days.
• precogitationPrevious cogitation.
• precognosceTo examine (e.g. witnesses or evidence) beforehand.
• precurseTo forerun or precede.
• predaceanAny carnivorous animal.
• predacityThe quality of being predaceous.
• predicantPredicating; affirming; declaring; proclaiming.
• predicatoryaffirmative; making a clear assertion or statement of praise, especially one with religious or moral implications.
• preemptorSomeone who preempts; especially one who appropriates public land.
• prefidentTrusting beforehand; overconfident.
• prefigurateTo prefigure.
• prefineTo limit beforehand.
• prefulgencySuperior brightness or effulgency.
• pregnaneThe parent hydrocarbon for a range of steroids including the progesterones
• pregravateTo bear down; to depress.
• prehendTo perceive in the manner of Alfred North Whitehead's concept of prehension.
• prejudicantInfluenced by prejudice; biased.
• prelalOf or relating to printing; typographical.
• prelapsarianOf, or relating to the period of innocence before the Fall of man; innocent, unspoiled.
• prelectTo speak publicly; to lecture.
• prelectionA public lecture or reading, especially delivered at a college or university.
• prelibationA tasting beforehand, or by anticipation; a foretaste.
• prelusiveActing as a prelude; preliminary.
• premialServing to reward; rewarding.
• premiateTo give a prize to.
• premitTo premise.
• premonitorOne who, or that which, gives premonition; a harbinger
• premonstrateTo show beforehand; to foreshow.
• premonstrationA showing beforehand; foreshowing.
• premonstratorSomeone or something that premonstrates.
• premorseTerminated abruptly, or as if bitten off.
• prenominateto name or mention ahead of time
• prenoteTo note or designate beforehand.
• prensationThe act of seizing with violence; seizure
• prenunciationThe act of announcing or proclaiming beforehand.
• prenunciativeannouncing beforehand
• preordinatepreordained
• prepartumBefore giving birth; prenatal.
• prepollentHaving superior influence or power; prevailing; predominant.
• preponderationThe act or state of preponderating; preponderance.
• prepositivePut before; prefixed.
• prepositorA scholar appointed to inspect other scholars; a monitor or prefect.
• preputiumSynonym of prepuce.
• presbyteraA female presbyter.
• prescindTo abstract (from); to dismiss from consideration.
• presensiona previous perception; a premonition
• presentaneousready; quick; immediate in effect
• presidaryA guard.
• president pro temporeAn officer in a legislature who looks over it if the usual presiding officer is absent.
• presignifyTo intimate or signify beforehand; to presage.
• prestatePrior to status as a state.
• prestigiationlegerdemain; prestidigitation (deception, or juggling)
• prestigiatorA conjurer; a prestidigitator.
• prestimonyA fund for the support of a priest, without the title of a benefice.
• pretensivePretended; feigned.
• preter-Beyond.
• preterfluentflowing by
• preterientPassed through; antecedent; previous.
• preterlapsedpast; former
• pretermissionOmission; failure to do something.
• pretermitTo intentionally disregard (something), to ignore; to neglect or omit.
• pretervectionThe act of carrying past or beyond.
• pretoriumThe general's tent in a camp.
• prevaricatorOne who prevaricates.
• prevenienceThe act or condition of occurring earlier, of being antecedent.
• prevenientRelating to prevenience; antecedent; preceding; coming or happening before.
• pridianOf or relating to the day before, or yesterday.
• prima facieAt first sight; on the face of it.
• prime moverThe initial agent that is the cause of all things.
• primigenialFirst of all; firstborn; primary; original.
• primigravidaA woman or female animal who is pregnant for the first time, or who has been pregnant once.
• primipilarOf or relating to the primipilus (captain of the vanguard of a Roman army).
• primitiaThe first fruits.
• primordianAny of several kinds of plum.
• principiantRelating to principles or beginnings.
• principicideThe killing of a prince.
• pristaneA natural saturated terpenoid alkane, 2,6,10,14-tetramethylpentadecane, used as a lubricant, an anticorrosion agent, and in medical research
• pro-agreeing with; supporting; favouring
• probabilioristOne who holds, in opposition to the probabilists, the theory of probabiliorism.
• probablenessThe state or quality of being likely to occur; likelihood, probability.
• probatorAn examiner; an approver.
• pro bonoWithout charging the usual fee; done voluntarily without fee, generally for clients or patients of limited means.
• procaciousBold, forward, insolent.
• proceleusmaticA metrical foot consisting of four short syllables.
• procellarianAny of a family of oceanic birds (Procellaridae) including the petrels, fulmars, and shearwaters.
• procellousstormy; tempestuous
• procereOf high stature; tall.
• proceroustall
• procidenceA falling down; a prolapsus.
• prociduousdroopy
• procinctA state of complete readiness for action.
• proclinateInclined, directed, or leaning forward, like the teeth of some mammals and the bristles on the frons of many insects.
• proclivousinclined towards something; tending by nature
• proconsularOf or pertaining to a proconsul, or the office thereof.
• proconsulateThe office of a proconsul.
• procreantThat procreates.
• proctigerThe terminal segment of an insect's abdomen, containing the anus.
• procumbentprone or prostrate
• procuratoryTending to, or authorizing, procuration.
• prodigateTo squander.