pre-stressed

adjective

Of a structural member, having stress already applied during the manufacturing process in the opposite direction to the stress expected in use.

“pre-stressed concrete”

OriginEnglish stressed ← Middle English pre- ← Latin prae- →
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Meanings

adjectivepre-stressed (comparative more pre-stressed, superlative most pre-stressed)

comparative more pre-stressed · superlative most pre-stressed

  1. architectureOf a structural member, having stress already applied during the manufacturing process in the opposite direction to the stress expected in use.

    pre-stressed concrete

  2. human sciencesStanding before a stressed syllable.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*per-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*preh₂-
  3. Proto-Indo-European*préh₂i?
  4. Proto-Italic*prai
  5. Proto-Italic*prai-
  6. Latinprae-
  7. Middle Englishpre-
  8. Englishpre-
  9. Englishstressed
  10. Englishpre-stressed

From pre- + stressed.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

pre-stressed. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pre-stressed

MLA

“pre-stressed.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pre-stressed. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pre-stressed,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pre-stressed.

Source: pre-stressed on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.