repr. L. præ adv. and prep. (of place, rank, and time) before, in front, in advance. This was commonly written prę or pre in med.L., and has become pre- in the modern Romanic langs. In Eng. the prefix was sometimes written præ- after the revival of learning, but is now regularly pre-. In a few words recognized as Latin, and their immediate derivatives, præ- is now usual, though even these are frequently, esp. in America, written with pre-. See præ-.
In L. præ was prefixed adverbially to a great number of verbs, as præ-acuĕre to sharpen in front, præ-ambulāre to walk before, præclūdĕre to shut in front, præcognōscĕre to foreknow, præcurrĕre to run before, præ-ëminēre to stick out before, be prominent, præjūdicāre to judge or pass sentence beforehand, præmordēre to bite off before the point or abruptly; also with verbal derivatives, as præcentor a leader in singing, præcursor a forerunner, prædictio foretelling, præfātum fore-speech, preface. Less often with adjs. and ns., as præcānus, præmatūrus grey, ripe before (the time), prævius leading the way; præminister a servant standing before, præmolestia trouble beforehand, prænōmen a forename or first name. Also very frequently prefixed as an intensive to adjectives, as præaltus high before or in comparison with others, pre-eminently high, præclārus pre-eminently clear or bright, præpotens exceedingly powerful, prepotent, prævalidus very strong. In Latin præ- was rarely prefixed with prepositional force, as in præcordia the parts in front of the heart, prærīpia places in front of or near the bank of a river, præmodum adv. surpassing or beyond measure.

In English many Latin verbs and their derivatives in præ- have their representatives in pre-, and the use of this prefix has been greatly extended, so that it is now a living element, prefixable to almost any verb of Latin origin, and even sometimes prefixed to words of English or modern origin, as pre-breathe, pre-embody, pre-plot, pre-sift. Its use with adjectives or substantives, other than verbal, is less common, and the L. intensive use in præaltus, etc., though retained in a few words taken or imitated from L., is not a living use in Eng. But the prepositional construction, in which pre- governs the second element, which was so rare in L., has in English received vast extension, so as to become the second great living use, pre- being preferred to ante- as the opposite of post- in new formations, and often substituted for it, as in pre-baptismal, pre-Christian, prehistoric, pre-Darwinian, pre-reformation instead of ante-baptismal, ante-Christian, ante-historic, ante-Darwinian, ante-reformation. This preference of pre- may be partly due to its superior shortness and neatness, but is prob. largely in order to avoid the oral confusion of ante- with anti-, as in ante-Christian, antichristian, ante-Darwinian, anti-Darwinian.

Pronunciation. In all English formations in pre-, and some of those formed in Latin or French, in which the sense of ‘before’ is felt, the prefix is pronounced with a clear e, long or short ([iː], [i]). In nonce-combinations, the vowel is regularly long, and more or less stressed, e.g. pre-boil (ˌpriːˈbɔɪl), pre-Greek (ˌpriːˈgriːk), pre-telegraph (ˌpriːˈtɛlɪgrɑːf, -æf). In words of this class of more permanent standing and more independent meaning, the e is long ([iː]) when stressed, and usually short ([i]), but capable of being long ([iː]), when not under stress primary or subordinate, e.g. ˌpreaˈdamic (priː-), preˈadamite (priː-). In words from Latin in which the sense ‘before’ is obscured or lost, pre-, when unstressed, is (prɪ-); when stressed, (priː-) or (prɛ-): thus, ˈprecinct (priː-), preˈcinct (prɪ-), ˈprecipice (ˈprɛsɪpɪs), preˈcipitous (prɪˈsɪpɪtəs), preˈfer (prɪ-), ˈpreference (prɛf-). But here also (prɪ-) is lengthened to (priː-) under rhetorical or factitious stress, as in ‘Did you say “repair” or “prepare”?’ ‘not the “procession” but the “precession” of the equinoxes’.

Use of Hyphen. Nonce-words and casual compounds of English formation in pre- are usually hyphened, as pre-geological, pre-instil, pre-medicate; compounds already formed in Latin or French, and their derivatives, are regularly written indivisim, as precaution, predestination, prefigure. But between these extreme types there are very many combinations in which the use varies, the hyphen being employed whenever its use appears to add to the clearness of the writer's meaning, or when it is desired to emphasize the function of the prefix, to contrast the compound with the simple word or with the analogous compound in post-, or the like. In this dictionary, such words are as a rule entered in the unhyphened form, though the quotations will show that both forms are freely used. But in words in which pre- is prefixed to a word or element beginning with e, the hyphen is conveniently used to separate the two e's, as in pre-eminent, pre-engage, pre-exist. (These are sometimes printed preëminent, etc.)

In this dictionary, all important and established words in pre- are treated as main words, and will be found in their alphabetical places. But compounds of rare occurrence, chiefly obsolete, and those of obvious meaning and regular formation, are given below, under their respective classes. Nonce-words and casual combinations can be formed at will, and are unlimited in number, so that only examples showing their formation and use are required.

[Arrangement. A. pre- adverbial. I. Of time or order: 1, with vb.; 2, with n.; 3, with adj. II. Of place: 4, with adj. or n. III. 5, Of order, rank, importance, quality, degree. IV. 6, Intensive. B. pre- prepositional. I. Of time: 1, with adj.; 2, with n. or phr. II. Of place: 3, with adj.]

A. Combinations in which pre- is adverbial or adjectival, qualifying the verb, adjective, or substantive, to which it is prefixed.

I. Of time or order of succession.
In casual combinations better with hyphen; but often without. Pre- stressed (priː).

1. With verbs, or ppl. adjs. and vbl. ns. derived from them, in sense ‘fore-, before, beforehand, previously, in advance’, as pre-acknowledge, -acquaint, -act, -adapt, -admit, etc., and in many others of obvious meaning, as pre-acquit, pre-address, pre-adjust, pre-adopt, pre-affect, pre-allege, pre-annex, pre-apprehend, pre-apprise, pre-approve, pre-ascertain, pre-assemble, pre-audit, pre-baptize, pre-bargain, pre-boil, pre-book, pre-breathe, pre-censure, pre-centrifuge, pre-clean, pre-coat, pre-commend, pre-commit, pre-comprehend, pre-compute, pre-conclude, pre-confess, pre-conjecture, pre-consolidate, pre-constitute, pre-consume, pre-continue, pre-convert, pre-cook, pre-corrupt, pre-counsel, pre-decide, pre-dedicate (prededicate pa. pple.), pre-demand, pre-demonstrate, pre-describe, pre-devise, pre-devour, pre-direct, pre-dissuade, pre-dry, pre-embody, pre-employ, pre-enact, pre-entertain, pre-erect, pre-excuse, pre-extinguish, pre-film, pre-fool, pre-furnish, pre-give (pre-given ppl adj.; also absol. as n.), pre-grind, pre-imbibe, pre-imbue, pre-impart, pre-incubate, pre-inhere, pre-instil, pre-ionize, pre-know, pre-let, pre-liquidate, pre-lubricate, pre-machine, pre-make, pre-model, pre-necessitate, pre-obtain, pre-own, pre-partake, pre-pattern, pre-perceive, pre-plan, pre-plot, pre-polarize, pre-practise, pre-prepare, pre-pressurize, pre-pronounce, pre-prove, pre-provide, pre-publish, pre-qualify, pre-receive, pre-resemble, pre-respire, pre-reveal, pre-secure, pre-see, pre-sentence, pre-separate, pre-sift, pre-soak, pre-study, pre-surmise, pre-suspect, pre-teach, pre-think, pre-torture, pre-tune, pre-understand, pre-unite, pre-wash, pre-wear, pre-wrap, pre-write; preˈaspirate Phonetics, to aspirate (a sound) in advance of another sound; pre-ˈbaiting, the act or practice of accustoming vermin to harmless bait so that they will take poisoned bait more readily.

2. With a n., this being usually a derivative from a verb to which pre- is in adverbial relation: = Existing or taking place previously, placed before (something else), previous, preceding, earlier: as pre-accusation, pre-adjustment, pre-administration, pre-advertency, pre-appearance, pre-approbation, pre-approval, pre-arrestment, pre-ascertainment, pre-audit, pre-auditor, pre-censorship, pre-civilization, pre-coat, pre-collection, pre-comprehension, pre-concession, pre-conclusion, pre-connexion, pre-consent, pre-constituent, pre-contemplation, pre-conviction, pre-decay, pre-decision, pre-dedication, pre-desert, pre-detainer, pre-discipline, pre-embodiment, pre-entail, pre-equipment, pre-evangelism, pre-excogitation, pre-excitation, pre-expectation, pre-expounder, pre-fecundation, pre-hearing, pre-impression, pre-incubation, pre-indisposition, pre-inhabitation, pre-inquisition, pre-intelligence, pre-knowledge, pre-negotiation, pre-opinion, pre-oxygenation, pre-polarization, pre-pressurization, pre-publicity, pre-qualification, pre-rehearsal, pre-reluctation, pre-remorse, pre-representation, pre-success, pre-surmise, pre-taste, pre-taster, pre-tincture, pre-union, pre-verbalization. Also with other substantives: pre-ˈadjunct Gram., an adjunct that precedes the word it modifies; also attrib.; pre-anˈtiquity, previous antiquity; pre-ˈaptitude, antecedent aptitude; pre-aspiˈration Phonetics, aspiration that precedes another sound; preˈboding, foreboding; preˈcontour Phonetics, one or more unstressed syllables which precede the peak of a contour; pre-eˈternity, previous eternity, eternal previous existence; ˈprename, a forename, ‘Christian’ name; ˈpre-part, previous or preceding part; ˈprepulse, a preliminary pulse of electricity; prereˈaction, chemical reaction occurring before some other process; ˈpre-rinse, a preliminary rinse given to something before it is washed; pre-ˈscene, an anticipatory scene; preseˈnility Med., premature senility; pre-ˈshadow, a shadow of what is coming; ˈpre-soak, (a) a soaking given prior to some subsequent process or treatment; (b) a liquid used for this; also attrib.; ˈpre-wash, a preliminary wash, used spec. as the name of a setting on an automatic washing-machine; also attrib.

3. With an adj.: as pre-coexistent, pre-combustible, pre-essential, pre-subsistent, pre-thoughtful; preˈmutative, inflected by means of prefixes, as a language.

II. Of local position. (Chiefly Anat.)
Usually without hyphen. Pre- stressed (ˌpriː).

4. a. In adverbial relation to an adj.: = Before, anteriorly, in front: as precommiˈssural, anterior to a commissure of the brain; preˈdentate, having teeth in the fore part of the upper jaw only, as some Cetacea. Also in adjectives, introduced by Wilder, etc. = ‘anterior’, as precereˈbellar = anterior cerebellar (artery); so preˈcerebral; preˈchoroid, anterior choroid; precloˈacal, belonging to the anterior portion of the cloaca; precoˈmmunicant, anterior communicating (artery, etc.); prediˈgastric, of or pertaining to the anterior belly of the digastric muscle; also n. this anterior belly regarded as a distinct muscle; preˈgeminal, preˈoptic, of or pertaining to the anterior corpora quadrigemina or optic lobes of the brain.

b. In quasi-adjectival relation to a n.: = ‘Situated in front, anterior, fore-’, esp. denoting the anterior of two or more parts of the same kind; with derivative adjs.: as pre-abˈdomen, Latreille's name for the first five segments of the abdomen of Crustacea (Syd. Soc. Lex.); predilaˈtator, the anterior dilatator muscle of the nostril; preˈforceps, the curved anterior fibres of the corpus callosum, which pass into the frontal lobe of the cerebrum; pregeˈniculum, the external geniculate body; hence pregeniculate adj.; pre-omoˈsternum, an anterior omosternum; hence pre-omosternal adj.; prepeˈduncle, the anterior peduncle of the brain; hence prepeduncular, prepedunculate adjs.; prepelviˈsternum, an anterior pelvisternum; hence prepelviˈsternal adj.; preˈretina, the thin lamina representing the retina in that part of the vitreous chamber of the eye immediately anterior to the ora serrata (Syd. Soc. Lex.); hence preretinal adj.; preˈrima, an extension of the rima in advance of the porta in some animals, as Dipnoi; hence prerimal adj.; prescuˈtellum Entom., a sclerite sometimes appreciable between the mesoscutum and mesoscutellum; preˈscutum Entom., the most anterior sclerite of the tergal portion of each thoracic segment in insects, etc.; hence prescutal adj.

c. In advb. relation to a vb.; in compounds formed in L., as preclude, prefix, premunite.

III. Of order, rank, importance, quality, degree.

5. In sense ‘before in order or importance, above, in preference to, superior to, more than, beyond’.
Common in combinations already in Latin, but rare in English use. See precede v., precel v., predominate v., pre-eminence, pre-excellence, prefer v., pre-gravitate v., pre-ordinate a., preponderate v., etc., in Main words. Also pre-epic, surpassing the epic; pre-Luciferian, surpassing Lucifer.

IV. With intensive force.

6. With adjs. and ppl. adjs., in the sense ‘before others, pre-eminently, exceedingly, in the highest degree’; as pre-pious, pre-pleasing, pre-regular: preclare, precordial2, prenoble, etc. Chiefly Obs.

B. Combinations in which pre- is prepositional, having as its object the n. forming, or implied in, the second element.

I. Relating to time or order of succession: in which pre- = before; anterior, prior, or previous to; preceding, earlier than.
These may be formed for the nonce almost at pleasure; indeed, such combinations as pre-Alfredian, pre-Reformation, pre-reformational, pre-Shakespearian, pre-free-trade, are rather phrases than words: pre-Shakespearian dramatists, pre-Reformation ritual, pre-free-trade conditions, being only a compacter way of saying ‘dramatists before Shakespeare’, ‘ritual before the Reformations’, ‘conditions (existing) before (the era of) free trade’.

All these are properly hyphened, but the special compounds in 1d are often written indivisim. Pre- is always stressed (ˌpriː), and e long.

1. With adjectives (and their derivative adverbs and substantives), or f. pre- + a (Lat.) n. + adjectival ending, as pre-reformation-al; forming adjectives, with derivative adverbs and substantives. Also with (Eng. or other) ns. directly forming ns., as pre-cancer, -climax, -delinquency, -menarche, -myelocyte, etc. (below). Also prehominid, prepuberty, etc.
Compounds of this type were not used in Latin, and they are of recent appearance in English. The earliest appears to be pre-adamite, formed in Lat. as a n. 1655, whence in Eng. as n. in 1662, and as adj. in 1786; thence pre-adamitical in 1716; prediluvian occurs 1804, preprandial 1822, prenatal 1826, pre-Christian 1828, pre-millennian 1828, pre-Gothic 1831, prehuman 1844, prehistoric 1851, pre-glacial 1855, pre-scientific 1858, pre-Georgian 1861, pre-Roman 1863. (Some of these may have been used a little earlier.)

a. Formed on proper nouns (or their adjectives), esp. on names of persons, races, nations, dynasties, and religions, as pre-Alfredian, pre-Arnoldian, pre-Augustinian, pre-Baconian, pre-Caroline [Charlemagne], pre-Cavourian, pre-Chaucerian, pre-Columbian, pre-Constantinian, pre-Copernican, pre-Dantean, pre-Darwinian, pre-Evite [Eve], pre-Galilean [Galileo], pre-Georgian [the four Georges], pre-Hieronymian [Hieronymus or Jerome], pre-Hitlerian, pre-Hitlerite, pre-Kantian, pre-Keynesian, pre-Linnæan, pre-Listerian, pre-Malthusian, pre-Mendelian, pre-Messianic, pre-Mosaic, pre-Muhammadan, pre-Newtonian, pre-Patrician [St. Patrick], pre-Pauline, pre-Pharaonic, pre-Shakespearian, pre-Solomonic, pre-Solonian, pre-Victorian, pre-Virgilian; pre-Aryan, pre-Assyrian, pre-British, pre-Buddhist, pre-Canaanitic, pre-Celtic, pre-Doric, pre-European, pre-Fascist, pre-Gothic, pre-Greek, pre-Han, pre-Hellenic, pre-Hispanic, pre-Islamic, pre-ite, pre-Israelitish, pre-Jewish, pre-Mycenean, pre-Nazi, pre-Norman, pre-Norse, pre-Roman, pre-Saxon, pre-Semitic, pre-Soviet, pre-Vedic; etc.

b. In names of geological formations and of prehistoric periods, as pre-Carboniferous (earlier than the Carboniferous); so pre-Laurentian, pre-Permian, pre-Silurian; pre-metallic (before the knowledge of metals), pre-palæozoic. (Cf. also Pre-Cambrian a.)

c. In pathological terms, noting stages and symptoms in the progress of disease, as pre-albuminuric (previous to the appearance of albuminuria); so pre-ascitic, pre-cancerous, pre-epileptic, pre-fungoidal, pre-malignant, pre-paroxysmal, pre-pathological, pre-phthisical, pre-symptomatic, etc.

d. Formed on other adjectives (or the L. or other ns. to which these belong): as pre-artistic (before the cultivation of art), pre-capitalist, pre-capitalistic, pre-chemical, pre-cinematographic, pre-civilized, pre-coitional, pre-colonial, pre-commercial, pre-conceptual, pre-conciliar, pre-contemporaneous, pre-copulative, pre-earthly, pre-elemental, pre-evolutionary, pre-experimental (hence pre-experimentally adv.), pre-fabulous, pre-federal, pre-feudal, pre-feudalic, pre-filmic, pre-geological, pre-imperial, pre-industrial, pre-industrialist, pre-intellectual, pre-koranic, pre-lexical, pre-literary, pre-matrimonial, pre-matutinal, pre-mediæval, pre-memorial, pre-modern, pre-monadic, pre-monarchical, pre-monumental, pre-moral, pre-mortal, pre-mythical, pre-nuptial, pre-observational, pre-orgasmic, pre-original, pre-paroxysmal, pre-personal, pre-philosophical, pre-phonemic, pre-political, pre-predicative, pre-prep, pre-preparatory, pre-primary, pre-prophetic, pre-rabbinical, pre-religious, pre-romanesque, pre-scholastic, pre-secular, pre-social, pre-socialist, pre-solar, pre-telegraphic, pre-telescopic, pre-theoretical, pre-traditional, pre-tragic, pre-transformational, etc.; freq. in Gram., as pre-accentual, pre-adjectival, pre-adverbial, pre-consonantal (so preconsonantally adv.), pre-infinitival, pre-inflexional, pre-junctural, pre-pausal, pre-suffixal, pre-syllabic. Also pre-ˈadult, -aˈdult, prior to the attainment of adulthood; pre-æˈstival, -est-, occurring before midsummer (Cent. Dict. 1890); pre-ˈagonal, -aˈgonic Med., occurring immediately before, or premonitory of, the death agony; pre-agriˈcultural Anthrop., that has not yet developed agriculture as a means of subsistence; pre-anaˈlytic, -anaˈlytical, preceding analysis; hence pre-anaˈlytically adv.; pre-ˈarticle n. Gram., one of a set of words that can precede an article in a noun phrase; pre-ˈbacillary, prior to invasion by bacilli (Cent. Dict. 1890); pre-bacterioˈlogic, -ˈlogical, previous to the discovery of the relationship of bacteria to disease; †pre-beaˈtific, previous to the beatific vision; pre-broˈmidic, previous to the use of bromides in medicine; pre-ˈcancer n. Med., a condition that implies an increased risk of the future development of cancer; cf. pre-cancerous, sense B. 1c; pre-cartiˈlaginous, preceding the development of cartilage in an embryo (Cent. Dict.); preˈcellular Biol., prior to the origin of cellular life; pre-ˈcivil, prior to the development of social organization; preˈclimax n. Ecology, the point in a plant succession at which development has ceased before the state of climax is reached; pre-coˈnnubial, occurring before marriage; preconˈvulsive Med., preceding a convulsion; pre-ˈcosmic, previous to the present world; pre-creˈative, existing before the Creation; pre-ˈcultural, pertaining to human existence prior to or independent of cultural development; pre-deˈlinquency n., behaviour which is likely to result in (juvenile) delinquency; hence pre-deˈlinquent a. and n.; pre-diaˈstolic, Physiol., preceding the diastole or dilatation of the heart in beating; pre-diˈcrotic, Physiol., preceding the dicrotic wave of the pulse; pre-dyˈnastic, existing before the recognized (Egyptian) dynasties; pre-ecoˈnomic: see quot.; pre-eˈmergent = pre-emergence (sense B. 2 below); pre-erythroˈcytic Biol., occurring or existing in the period between the entry of a malaria parasite into the body as a sporozoite and the subsequent entry into red blood cells of schizonts descended from the sporozoites; pre-evoˈlutional, -evoˈlutionary, -evoˈlutionist, previous to the introduction of the theory of evolution; pre-expoˈnential Math., occurring as a non-exponential multiplier of an exponential quantity; preˈgamic Cytology, prior to the formation of gametes; preˈgastrular Biol., prior to gastrulation; pregeoˈlogical, occurring in, or pertaining to, the period of the earth's history earlier than the time of formation of the oldest known rocks; hence pregeoˈlogically adv.; preˈgrammar n. Linguistics (see quots.); pregraˈmmatical Linguistics, applied to an assumed period in linguistic communication prior to the existence of grammatical structure; pre-hemiˈplegic, Path., preceding an attack of hemiplegia or paralysis of one side (Syd. Soc. Lex. 1895); pre-heˈxameral, occurring prior to the six days of Creation; pre-ˈictal Med., preceding a stroke or fit, esp. an epileptic fit; pre-Inˈcaic = pre-Incarial; pre-Inˈcarial, prior to the time of the Incas of Peru; pre-ˈLatin, designating (any of) the Italic languages older than Latin; preˈlogic n., a mode of thought that does not yet conform to logical reasoning (cf. prelogical a.); pre-maˈniacal, preceding mania or madness; pre-maˈterial, prior to what is material; pre-meiˈotic Cytology, occurring before meiosis; that has not yet undergone meiosis; premeˈnarche n. Med., the premenarchal period in a girl's life; premeˈnarchal, -meˈnarcheal, -meˈnarchial, of, pertaining to, or designating a girl in the few years before the onset of menstruation; pre-ˈmoral, pertaining to a stage of development prior to the personal acceptance of moral responsibility; hence pre-moˈrality n.; pre-ˈmortuary, occurring, or pertaining to what may occur, before (some one's) death; pre-myˈcosic, Path., preceding mycosis or the development of fungi in or on the body; preˈmyelocyte n. Anat. = myeloblast; hence preˌmyeloˈcytic; preneoˈplastic Med., before or prefatory to the development of a neoplasm; pre-neˈphritic, Path., preceding disease of the kidneys; ˈprenoun n. Gram., a word that generally precedes a noun and is in close syntactical relation to it; pre-orˈganic, prior to the existence of organic life; pre-ovuˈlatory Med., before ovulation; preˈpatent Med., applied to the period between parasitic infection of a host and the time when the parasite can be first detected; so preˈpatency n., the condition of an infected host during the prepatent period; pre-plaˈcental, prior to the development of a placenta in gestation; preˈplanetary Astr., existing before the formation of planets; spec. constituting the material from which the planets were formed; pre-ˈplanting, applied or performed before the crop is planted; also absol.; preproinsulin (ˌpriːprəʊˈɪnsjʊlɪn) n. Biochem., a precursor of proinsulin; preˈpuberal = pre-pubertal; so preˈpuberally adv.; pre-ˈpubertal, prior to the attainment of puberty; hence preˈpubertally adv.; pre-reˈflective, -reˈflexive, prior to reflection or reasoning thought; pre-reˈformatory, prior to the Reformation; pre-relatiˈvistic, before the theory of relativity was published (in 1905 and 1915); pre-reˈmote, more remote in previous time or order; pre-reproˈductive, prior to the time when an individual becomes capable of reproduction; pre-rhotaˈcistic, Philol., previous to the tendency to rhotacism; pre-ˈseminal, -ˈseminary, Phys., prior to insemination or fecundation; preschizoˈphrenic, of or pertaining to the period prior to the onset of schizophrenia; as n., a person showing symptoms similar to those observed prior to schizophrenia; so preschizoˈphrenia n.; preˈsenile Med., occurring in or characteristic of the period of life preceding old age, esp. the two or three decades immediately before; preˈsolar = prestellar; pre-splenomeˈgalic, Path., occurring before enlargement of the spleen; preˈstellar Astr., not (yet) having formed a star or stars; pre-ˈstructuralist, prior to the development of structural linguistics; pre-systeˈmatic, prior to the development of a formal system; so pre-systeˈmatically adv.; pre-ˈtemporal, anterior to existence in time, ‘before time began’, antemundane; pre-teˈrrestrial, existing before what is terrestrial; preˈvernal, pertaining to a season before or very early in spring; pre-voˈlitional, existing before volition.

2. a. With ns. or phrases forming quasi-adjs. or attrib. phrases: pre-advertisement, pre-advertising (belonging to the days before advertising was usual), pre-amalgamation, pre-betrothal, pre-breakfast, pre-Broadway, pre-cession, pre-chloroform, pre-Christmas, pre-civilization, pre-Civil War, pre-coition, pre-college, pre-computer, pre-consonant, pre-convention, pre-crusade, pre-crusading, pre-development, pre-dinner, pre-dispersion, pre-disruption, pre-dynamite, pre-Easter, pre-emancipation, pre-employment, pre-enclosure, pre-examination, pre-free-trade, pre-game, pre-Inca, pre-increase, pre-independence, pre-inscription, pre-invasion, pre-Islam, pre-jazz, pre-launch, pre-legislation, pre-liberation, pre-life, pre-log-rolling, pre-London, pre-lunch, pre-machine, pre-market, pre-marketing, pre-marriage, pre-Mutiny, pre-oïdium, pre-ovulation, pre-pause, pre-phylloxera, pre-pneumatic-tire, pre-police, pre-portraying, pre-pottery, pre-printing, pre-qualificative, pre-radio, pre-recognition, pre-railroad, pre-railway, pre-Reformation, pre-relativity, pre-remittance, pre-Renaissance, pre-retirement, pre-revolution, pre-season, pre-seizure, pre-settlement, pre-show, pre-sleep, pre-subject, pre-telegraph, pre-television, pre-theatre, pre-tour, pre-treaty, pre-vaccination, pre-vowel, pre-wire, pre-work, pre-world. The use of these appears to have begun about 1860. b. with personal names, meaning ‘before the time or public work of’: e.g. pre-Augustine, pre-Chamberlain, pre-Gladstone, pre-Hitler, pre-Jenner, pre-Johnson, pre-Reynolds, pre-Shakespeare, etc. c. Adjs. of the type in 2 a, b above are sometimes used adverbially (cf. pre prep.), as pre-emergence below, pre-tax, pre-war advs.

pre-eˈmergence, occurring, performed, or applied before the emergence of seedlings from the soil; also absol. and as adv.; pre-ˈflame, occurring in a gas flow before it reaches a flame.

II. Denoting local position: in which pre- = before, in front of, anterior to.
These appear to have arisen since 1825: see preocular 1826, predorsal 1831, prepigmental 1835.

These are generally written without the hyphen, which may however be used when it makes the composition clearer, as before a vowel. Pre- is usually (ˌpriː), but may be (prɪ) when it immediately precedes the main stress, as in preˈvertebral.

3. In adjs. (also sometimes used as ns.), chiefly Anat. and Zool., denoting parts or organs situated in front of (or, rarely, in the front part of) other parts or organs. Also occas. with ns. directly forming ns., as prealbumin.

pre-aceˈtabular, in front of the acetabulum or socket of the hip; pre-ˈanal, in front of the anus; pre-aˈortic, in front of the aorta; pre-aˈpicial, Conch.: see quot.; pre-ˈauditory, in front of the auditory nerve; preˈbasal, in front of a base or basal part; preˈbasilar, in front of a basilar part; prebrachial (-ˈbreɪkɪəl), in front of the brachium or upper arm; applied to a group of muscles; also to a vein in the wing of some insects; prebranchial (-ˈbræŋkɪəl), in front of the gills or branchial region; prebronchial (-ˈbrɒŋkɪəl), in front of the bronchi or bronchia; preˈbuccal [L. bucca cheek], situated in front of the mouth or buccal cavity; = preoral; preˈcardiac, in front of or (in Human Anat.) above the heart; preˈcaudal, situated in front of the caudal vertebræ; preˈcentral, anterior to the centre; applied to parts of the brain; preˈcerebroid, situated anterior to a cerebroid organ; precocˈcygeal, in front of the coccyx; preˈcondylar, -oid, in front of the condyles; preˈcorneal, situated on the front of the cornea (Cent. Dict. 1890); preˈcostal, in front of the ribs; preˈcrucial, anterior to the crucial sulcus of the brain; preˈdentary, in front of the dentary bone (in some reptiles); preˈdigital, noting the two remiges attached to the second phalanx of the second digit; preˈdorsal, anterior to the dorsum or dorsal region; preˈgenital, in front of the genital aperture or external genital organs (Cent. Dict.); preˈglenoid, in front of the glenoid fossa: applied to a process of the temporal bone (also ellipt. as n.): also pregleˈnoidal (ibid.); preˈhyoid, in front of the hyoid bone; preˈlabial, in front of the lips, or a labium (in an insect or crustacean); preˈlumbar, in front of the loins; premanˈdibular, in front of the mandible: applied to a bone of the lower jaw in some fishes, reptiles, etc.; also as n.; preˈmotor, applied to the anterior part of the precentral area of the frontal lobe of the brain, which is concerned with the co-ordination of activities in the motor area immediately posterior to it; preocˈcipital, in front of the occipital lobe of the brain; preœsoˈphageal, in front of the œsophagus, or, in invertebrates, of the œsophageal ring; preˈpalatal, in front of the palate; spec. in Phonetics, of a consonant articulated with obstruction of the airstream immediately in front of the palate; also preˈpalatine (Cent. Dict.); preparocˈcipital, in front of the paroccipital convolution of the brain; prepaˈtellar, situated above or in front of the patella; prepatellar bursitis, inflammation of the prepatellar bursa; = housemaid's knee s.v. housemaid c; preperitoˈneal, in front of the peritoneum; prepigˈmental, in front of the pigmental layer of the eye; prepiˈtuitary, anterior to the pituitary body; preˈpontile, in front of the pons Varolii (pons 2); preproˈstatic, in front of the prostate gland; prepyˈloric, anterior to the pylorus or small end of the stomach; preˈrectal, in front of the rectum; preˈrenal, in front of the kidney; preˈsacral, in front of the sacrum; presemiˈlunar, in front of the semilunar lobe of the cerebellum; preˈspinal: see quot.; prespiˈracular, in front of a spiracle; presubˈterminal, before a subterminal; preˈsylvian, in front of the Sylvian fissure of the cerebrum; presymˈphysial, in front of a symphysis or point of union, usually of the jaw; prethoˈracic, in front of the thorax; preˈtibial, in front of, or on the front part of, the tibia; preˈtracheal, in front of the trachea or windpipe; pretymˈpanic, in front of the tympanum of the ear; also as n. = pretympanic bone or cartilage; preˈvertebral, in front of the vertebral column; preˈvesical, in front of the bladder (Cent. Dict.).