A- (3) prefix meaning "not," from Gk a-, an- "not," from pie base *ne "not" (see un-)

pounce (v.) --- 1686, originally "to seize with the pounces," from pownse (n.) "hawk's claws" (1486), from O.Fr. poinçon (see punch (v.)), on the notion of the claws that punch holes in things. In falconry, the heel claw is a talon, and others are pounces.

pound (n.1) --- measure of weight, O.E. pund, from W.Gmc. stem *punda- "pound" as a measure of weight (cf. Goth. pund, O.H.G. pfunt, Ger. Pfund, M.Du. pont, O.Fris., O.N. pund), early borrowing from L. pondo "pound," originally in libra pondo "a pound by weight," from pondo (adv.) "by weight," ablative of *pondus "weight" (see span (v.)). Meaning "unit of money" was in O.E., originally "pound of silver." At first "12 ounces;" meaning "16 ounces" was established before 1377. Pound cake (1747) so called because it has a pound, more or less, of each ingredient. Pound of flesh is from "Merchant of Venice" IV.i. The abbreviations lb., £ are from libra, and reflect the medieval custom of keeping accounts in Latin.

pound (n.2) --- enclosed place for animals, late O.E. pundfald "penfold, pound," related to pyndan "to dam up, enclose (water)," and thus from the same root as pond. Ultimate origin unknown; no certain cognates beyond Eng.

pound (v.) --- pulverize, O.E. punian "crush," from W.Gmc. *puno-, stem of *punojanan (cf. Low Ger. pun, Du. puin "fragments"). With intrusive -d- from 16c.

pour --- c.1300, perhaps from O.Fr. (Flanders dialect) purer "to sift (grain), pour out (water)," from L. purare "to purify," from purus "pure" (see pure). Replaced O.E. geotan.

pout (v.) --- c.1325, perhaps from Scandinavian (cf. Swed. dial. puta "to be puffed out"), or Fris. (cf. E.Fris. püt "bag, swelling," Low Ger. puddig "swollen"), related via notion of "inflation" to O.E. ælepute "fish with inflated parts," and M.Du. puyt, Flem. puut "frog."

poverty --- c.1175, from O.Fr. poverte, from L. paupertatem (nom. paupertas) "poverty," from pauper (see poor).

pow --- expression imitative of a blow, collision, etc., first recorded 1881.

powder --- c.1290, from O.Fr. poudre (13c.), earlier pouldre (11c.), from L. pulverem (nom. pulvis) "dust" (see pollen). In the sense "powdered cosmetic," it is recorded from 1571. The verb is attested from c.1300, from O.Fr. poudrer, from poudre. In fig. sense, powder keg is first attested 1855. Powder room, euphemistic for "women's lavatory," is attested from 1941. Powder puff first recorded 1704; as a symbol of femaleness or effeminacy, in use from at least 1930s. Phrase take a powder "scram, vanish," is from 1920, perhaps from the notion of taking a laxative medicine, so one has to leave in a hurry; or from a magician's magical powder, which made things disappear.

power (n.) --- 1297, from Anglo-Fr. pouair, O.Fr. povoir, noun use of the infinitive in O.Fr., "to be able," earlier podir (842), from V.L. *potere, from L. potis "powerful" (see potent). Meaning "a state or nation with regard to international authority or influence" is from 1726. The verb meaning "to supply with power" is recorded from 1898. Powerful is c.1400. Powerhouse "building where power is generated" is from 1881; fig. sense attested from 1915. Power-broker (1961) said to have been coined by T.H. White in ref. to the 1960 U.S. presidential election. Phrase the powers that be is from Rom. xiii.1. As a statement wishing good luck, more power to (someone) is recorded from 1842.

powwow --- 1624, "priest, sorcerer," from a southern New England Algonquian language (probably Narragansett) powwow "shaman, medicine man, Indian priest," from a verb meaning "to use divination, to dream," from Proto-Algonquian *pawe:wa "he dreams, one who dreams." Meaning "magical ceremony among N.Amer. Indians" is recorded from 1663. Sense of "council, conference, meeting" is first recorded 1812. Verb sense of "to confer, discuss" is attested from 1780.

pox --- 1476, spelling alteration of pockes, pl. of pocke (see pock). Especially (after 1503) of syphilis.

practicable --- 1643 (implied in practicableness), from M.Fr. pratiquable (1594), from pratiquer "to practice," from M.L. practicare "to practice" (see practical).

practical --- 1604, earlier practic (adj.) in same sense (c.1380), from O.Fr. practique (adj.) "fit for action," earlier pratique (13c.), from M.L. practicalis, L.L. practicus "practical," from Gk. praktikos "practical." Practically "for practical purposes, as good as" is recorded from 1748.

practice (v.) --- 1392, "to do, act, or perform habitually," from O.Fr. practiser "to practice," from M.L. practicare "to do, perform, practice," from L.L. practicus "practical," from Gk. praktikos "practical." The noun is from 1421, originally as practise, from O.Fr. pratiser, from M.L. practicare. Also as practik, which survived in parallel into 19c. Practiced "expert" is from 1568; practicing (adj.) is recorded from 1625 in ref. to professions, from 1906 in ref. to religions.

practitioner --- 1544, a hybrid formed from practitian (c.1500, from Fr. practicien, from L.L. practicus "fit for action," see practice) on model of parishioner.

Prado --- public park and promenade in Madrid, 1645, from Sp., from L. pratum "meadow" (see prairie).

praetor --- magistrate in ancient Rome (next in rank to consuls), c.1425, from L. prætor "one who goes before, a consul as leader of an army," from præ- "before" + root of ire "to go." Praetorian Guard is from cohors prætoria, the bodyguard troop of a Roman commander or emperor.

pragmatic --- 1543 (implied in pragmatical), from M.Fr. pragmatique, from L. pragmaticus "skilled in business or law," from Gk. pragmatikos "versed in business," from pragma (gen. pragmatos) "civil business, deed, act," from prassein "to do, act, perform." Pragmatism in philosophy is attested from 1898, first in William James, probably from Ger. Pragmatismus.

prairie --- tract of level or undulating grassland in N.Amer., 1773, from Fr. prairie, from O.Fr. praerie (12c.), from V.L. *prataria, from L. pratum "meadow," originally "a hollow." The word existed in M.E. as prayere, but was lost and reborrowed to describe the American plains. Prairie dog is attested from 1774; prairie schooner "immigrant's wagon" is from 1841.

praise (v.) --- c.1225, from O.Fr. preisier "to praise, value," from L.L. preciare, earlier pretiare (c.550, see price). Replaced O.E. lof, hreþ. The noun is attested from c.1430, not common until 16c. Now a verb in most Gmc. langs. (Ger. preis, Dan. pris, etc.), but only in Eng. is it differentiated in form from cognate price. Praiseworthy is first recorded 1538.

Prakrit --- popular dialect of ancient northern and central India (distinguished from Sanskrit, q.v.), sometimes also applied to modern langs., 1766, from Skt. prakrta- "natural, original" (opposed to samskrta- "prepared, refined"), from pra- "before, forward, forth" + krta- "done, made, prepared."

praline --- 1727, from Fr. praline, from the name of Marshal Duplessis-Praslin (1598-1675, pronounced "praline"), whose cook invented the confection.

pram --- baby carriage, 1884, shortening of perambulator (q.v.), perhaps influenced by pram "flat-bottomed boat" (1548), from O.N. pramr, from Balto-Slavic (cf. Pol. pram "boat," Rus. poromu "ferryboat").

prance --- c.1374, originally of horses, perhaps related to M.E. pranken "to show off," from M.Du. pronken "to strut, parade" (see prank); or perhaps from Dan. dialectal prandse "to go in a stately manner."

prank --- a trick, 1529, of uncertain origin, perhaps related to obsolete prank "decorate, dress up," from M.L.G. prank "display" (cf. also Du. pronken, Ger. prunken "to make a show, to strut"). Prankster is Amer.Eng., attested from 1927.

praseodymium --- rare metallic element, 1885, coined in Mod.L. by discoverer Carl Auer von Welsbach (1858-1929) from Gk. prasios "leek-green" (from prason "leek") + L. (di)dymium "double." So called from the green color of the salts it forms.

prate --- c.1420, from M.Du. praten "to prate" (c.1400), from a W.Gmc. imitative root (cf. M.L.G. praten, M.H.G. braten, Swed. prata "to talk, chatter").

pratfall --- 1939, from prat "buttocks" (1567), originally criminals' slang, of unknown origin. Prat in British slang sense of "dolt, fool" is recorded from 1968.

prattle (v.) --- 1532, frequentative of prate (q.v.). The noun is attested from 1555.

prawn --- 1426, prayne, of unknown origin.

praxis --- 1581, from M.L. praxis "practice, action" (c.1255, opposite of theory), from Gk. praxis "practice, action, doing," from stem of prassein "to do, to act."

pray --- c.1290, "ask earnestly, beg," also "pray to a god or saint," from O.Fr. preier (c.900), from L. precari "ask earnestly, beg," from *prex (plural preces, gen. precis) "prayer, request, entreaty," from PIE base *prek- "to ask, request, entreat" (cf. Skt. prasna-, Avestan frashna- "question;" O.C.S. prositi, Lith. prasyti "to ask, beg;" O.H.G. frahen, Ger. fragen, O.E. fricgan "to ask" a question). Prayer (c.1300) is from O.Fr. preiere, from V.L. *precaria, noun use of L. precaria, fem. of adj. precarius "obtained by prayer," from precari.

pre- --- prefix meaning "before," from O.Fr. pre- and M.L. pre-, both from L. præ (adv.) "before," from PIE *prai- (cf. Oscan prai, Umbrian pre, Skt. pare "thereupon," Gk. parai "at," Gaul. are- "at, before," Lith. pre "at," O.C.S. pri "at," Goth. faura, O.E. fore "before"), variant of base per- "beyond." The L. word was active in forming compound verbs.

preach --- late O.E. predician, a loan word from Church L., reborrowed 12c. as preachen, from O.Fr. prechier (11c.), from L.L. predicare "to proclaim publicly, announce" (in M.L. "to preach"), from L. præ- "forth" + dicare "to proclaim, to say" (see diction). To preach to the converted is recorded from 1867. Preacher (c.1225) is from O.Fr. preecheor, from L. prædicatorem (nom. prædicator), lit. "proclaimer." Slang short form preach (n.) is recorded from 1968.

preamble --- c.1386, from O.Fr. preambule (13c.), from M.L. preambulum, neut. adj. used as a noun, properly "preliminary," from L.L. præambulus "walking before," from L. præ- "before" + ambulare "to walk" (see amble).

preamplifier --- 1935, from pre- + amplifier. Shortened form pre-amp is attested from 1957.

prearrange --- 1775 (implied in prearrangement), from pre- + arrange (q.v.).

preassembly --- 1958, from pre- + assembly (q.v.).

prebend --- c.1400, from O.Fr. prebende, earlier provende (12c.), from M.L. prebenda "allowance," from L.L. præbenda "allowance, pension" (see provender).

Precambrian --- 1864, from pre- + Cambrian (q.v.).

precarious --- 1646, a legal word, "held through the favor of another," from L. precarius "obtained by asking or praying," from prex (gen. precis) "entreaty, prayer." Notion of "dependent on the will of another" led to sense "risky, dangerous, uncertain" (1687).

precaution --- 1603, from Fr. précaution (16c.), from L.L. præcautionem (nom. præcautio), from L. præcautus, pp. of præcavere "to guard against beforehand," from præ + cavere "to be one's own guard" (see caution).

precede --- 1485, "to go before" in rank or importance, from M.Fr. preceder, from L. præcedere "to go before," from præ- "before" + cedere "to go" (see cede). Meaning "to walk in front of" is from 1530; that of "to come before in time" is attested from 1540.

precedent (n.) --- 1427, "case which may be taken as a rule in similar cases," from M.Fr. precedent, from L. præcedentum (nom. præcedens), prp. of præcedere "go before" (see precede). Meaning "thing or person that goes before another" is attested from 1433.

precept --- 1382, from L. præceptum "maxim, rule, order," prop. neuter pp. of præcipere "give rules to, order, advise," lit. "take beforehand," from præ- "before" + capere (pp. captus) "to take" (see capable).

precession --- 1594, from L.L. præcissionem (nom. præcissio) "a coming before," from L. præcessus, pp. of præcedere (see precede). Originally used of calculations of the equinoxes, which come slightly earlier each year.

precinct --- 1432, "district defined for purposes of government or representation," from M.L. precinctum "enclosure, boundary line," prop. neut. pp. of L. præcingere "to gird about, surround," from præ- "before" + cingere "to surround, encircle" (see cinch).

precious --- c.1290, from O.Fr. precios (11c., Fr. précieux), from L. pretiosus "costly, valuable," from pretium "value, worth, price" (see price). Meaning "over-refined" first recorded c.1395. Precieuse "a woman aiming at refined delicacy of language and taste" (1727) is from Fr. précieuse, noun use of fem. of précieux, especially as lampooned in Molière's comedy "Les Précieuses ridicules" (1659).

precipice --- 1598, "fall to great depth," from Fr. précipice, from L. præcipitium "a steep place," lit. "a fall or leap," from præceps (gen. præcipitis) "steep, headlong, headfirst," from præ- "forth" + caput "head" (see head). Meaning "steep face of rock" is recorded from 1632.

precipitate (v.) --- to hurl or fling down, 1528, from L.L. præcipitare "to throw or dive headlong," from præceps (see precipitation). Meaning "to cause to happen" is recorded from 1625. Chemical sense is from 1644; meteorological sense first attested 1863.

precipitation --- 1502, "sudden haste," from M.Fr. precipitation (15c.), from L. præcipitationem (nom. præcipitatio) "act or fact of falling headlong, haste," from præcipitare "fall, be hasty," from præceps "steep" (see precipice). Meaning "act of falling from a height" is attested from 1612. Meteorological sense of "rain, snow, dew, etc." is from 1675. Precipitous "headlong" is from 1646; precipitate (adj.) "hasty" is attested from 1654.

precise --- c.1450 (implied in precisely), from M.Fr. précis "condensed, cut short" (14c.), from M.L. precisus, from L. præcisus "abridged, cut off," pp. of præcidere "to cut off, shorten," from præ- "in front" + cædere "to cut" (see cement). Precision is first attested 1640, from M.Fr. precision, from L. præcisionem (nom. præcisio) "a cutting off," from præcisus.

preclude --- 1618, from L. præcludere "to close, shut off, impede," from L. præ- "before, ahead" + claudere "to shut" (see close (v.)).

precocious --- 1650, "developed before the usual time," from L. præcox (gen. præcocis) "maturing early," from præ- "before" + coquere "to ripen," lit. "to cook" (see cook (n.)). Originally of flowers or fruits. Fig. use, of persons, dates from 1678.

precognition --- foreknowledge, 1611, from L.L. præcognitio, from L. præcognitus, pp. of præcognoscere "to foreknow," from præ + cognoscere "to know" (see notice).

preconceive --- 1580, from pre- + conceive (q.v.).

precondition --- 1825, from pre- + condition (q.v.).

preconscious --- 1860, from pre- + conscious (q.v.).

precursor --- 1504, from L. præcursor "forerunner," from præcursus, pp. of præcurrere, from præ- "before" + currere "to run" (see current).

predate --- 1864, from pre- + date "point in time."

predation --- c.1460, "act of plundering or pillaging," from L. prædationem (nom. prædatio) "a plundering, act of taking booty," from prædari "to rob, to plunder," from præda "plunder, booty, prey" (see prey). Zoological sense recorded from 1932. Predatory is first recorded 1589; of animals, 1668. Predator is from 1922, originally (1840) used of insects that ate other insects. The verb predate "to seek prey" (1974) is a modern back-formation.

pre-dawn --- 1946, from pre- + dawn (n.) (q.v.).

predecease (v.) --- 1593, from pre- + decease (q.v.).

predecessor --- c.1375, "one who has held an office or position before the present holder," from L.L. prædecessorem (nom. prædecessor), c.420, from L. præ "before" + decessor "retiring official," from decess-, pp. stem of decedere "go away," also "die" (see decease). Meaning "ancestor, forefather" is recorded from c.1400.

predestination --- c.1340, "the action of God in foreordaining certain of mankind through grace to salvation or eternal life," from L.L. prædestinationem (nom. prædestinatio) "a determining beforehand," from prædestinatus, pp. of prædestinare "appoint or determine beforehand," from L. præ- "before" + destinare "appoint, determine" (see destiny). First used in theological sense by Augustine, popularized by Calvin.

predetermine --- 1625, originally theological, from L.L. prædeterminare (Augustine), from præ + determinare (see determine).

predicament --- c.1380, "that which is asserted" (a term in logic), from M.L. predicamentum, from L.L. prædicamentum "quality, category, something predicted," from L. prædicatus, pp. of prædicare (see predicate), a loan-translation of Gk. kategoria, Aristotle's word. The meaning "unpleasant situation" is first recorded 1586.

predicate (n.) --- 1532, a term in logic, from L. prædicatum "that which is said of the subject," prop. neut. pp. of prædicare "assert, proclaim, declare publicly," from præ- "forth, before" + dicare "proclaim," from stem of dicere "to speak, to say" (see diction). Grammatical sense is from 1638. Phrase predicated on "founded on, based on," is Amer.Eng., first recorded 1766.

predict --- 1623, "to foretell, prophesy," from L. prædicatus, pp. of prædicere "foretell, advise, give notice," from præ- "before" + dicere "to say" (see diction). Scientific sense of "to have as a deducible consequence" is recorded from 1961. Prediction is recorded from 1561, from L. prædictio "a foretelling," from prædictus. Predictably "as could have been predicted" is attested from 1914.

predilection --- 1742, from Fr. prédilection (16c.), n. of action from M.L. prædilectus, pp. of prediligere "prefer before others," from L. præ- "before" + diligere "choose, love" (see diligent).

predisposition --- 1622, from pre- + disposition (q.v.). The verb predispose is recorded from 1646.

predominant --- 1576, from M.Fr. prédominant (14c.), from M.L. *prædominantem, prp. of *prædominare, from L. præ- "before" + dominari "to rule" (see dominate). The verb predominate is attested from 1594.

preemie --- baby born prematurely, 1927, premy, Amer.Eng. shortening of premature. Modern spelling is from 1949.

pre-eminence --- c.1225, from L.L. præminentia "distinction, superiority" (5c.), from L. præeminens, prp. of præeminere "project forward, rise above, excel," from præ- "before" + eminere "stand out, project" (see eminent).

pre-emption --- 1602, lit. "the right of purchasing before others," from pre- "before" + L. emptionem (nom. emptio) "buying," from emere "to buy" (see exempt). Pre-empt (v.) is an 1855 back-formation, originally Amer.Eng. In the broascasting sense, it is attested from 1965, Amer.Eng., a euphemism for "cancel." Pre-emptive in ref. to an attack on an enemy thought to be himself preparing an attack is from 1959.

preen --- to trim, to dress up, c.1386, perhaps a variation of prune (v.), or from O.Fr. poroindre "anoint before," and O.Fr. proignier "round off, prune." O.E. preon meant "to pin," and probably influenced this word. Due to the popularity of falconry, Words for bird activities were formerly much more precise than today.

prefabricate --- 1932, from pre- + fabricate (q.v.). Shortened form prefab is attested from 1937. Meaning "prefabricated housing" is recorded from 1942.

preface (n.) --- c.1386, from O.Fr. preface (14c.), from M.L. prefatia, from L. præfatio "fore-speaking, introduction, prologue," from præfatus, pp. of præfari "to say beforehand," from præ- "before" + fari "speak" (see fame). The verb is 1616, from the noun.

prefect --- c.1350, from O.Fr. prefect (12c.), from L. præfectus "public overseer, director," prop. pp. of præficere "to put in front, to set over, put in authority," from præ- "in front, before" + root of facere (pp. factus) "to perform" (see factitious). Spelling restored from M.E. prefet. Meaning "administrative head of the Paris police" is from 1827; meaning "senior pupil designated to keep order in an Eng. school" is from 1865. Prefecture "administrative district of a prefect" is recorded from 1577.

prefer --- 1388, "to put forward or advance in rank or fortune, to promote," from L. præferre "place or set before, carry in front," from præ- "before" + ferre "to carry, to place" (see infer). Meaning "to esteem (something) more than others" is recorded from 1390. Original sense in Eng. is preserved in preferment (1451). Preference "act of prefering" is recorded from 1656; sense of "that which one prefers" is from 1864. Preferential is first recorded 1849.

prefiguration --- 1382, from L.L. præfigurationem (nom. præfiguratio), c.400, noun of action from præfigurare "to prefigure," from L. præ "before" + figurare "to form, shape" (see figure (v.)).

prefix --- c.1420 (v.), 1646 (n.), from L. præfixus, pp. of præfigere "fix in front," from præ "before" + root of figere "to fasten, fix" (see fix).

pregnant --- with child, 1545, from L. prægnantem (nom. prægnans, originally prægnas) "with child," lit. "before birth," probably from præ- "before" + root of gnasci "be born." Used much earlier in Eng. in fig. senses (1413); the late record probably reflects its status as a taboo word, which it somewhat retained until c.1950; modern euphemisms include anticipating, enceinte, expecting, in a family way, in a delicate (or interesting) condition. Slang preggers is recorded from 1942. O.E. terms included mid-bearne, lit. "with child;" bearn-eaca, lit. "child-adding" or "child-increasing;" and geacnod "increased." Among c.1800 slang terms for "pregnant" were poisoned (in ref. to the swelling).

pregnant (1) --- convincing, weighty, pithy, c.1374, from O.Fr. preignant, prp. of preindre, from earlier priembre, from L. premere "to press" (see press (v.1)).

prehensile --- 1781, from Fr. préhensile (Buffon), from L. prehensus, pp. of prehendere "to grasp, to seize," from præ- "before" + -hendere, related to hedera "ivy," via notion of "clinging," and cognate with Gk. khandanein "to take in, hold" (see get).

prehistoric --- 1851, modeled on Fr. préhistorique, from pre- + history (q.v.). Prehistory is attested from 1871.

prejudice (n.) --- c.1290, from O.Fr. prejudice (13c.), from M.L. prejudicium "injustice," from L. præjudicium "prior judgment," from præ- "before" + judicium "judgment," from judex (gen. judicis) "judge." The notion is of "preconceived opinion;" the verb meaning "to affect or fill with prejudice" is from 1610.

prelapsarian --- pertaining to the condition before the Fall, 1879, from pre- + L. lapsus "fall."

prelate --- c.1205, from M.L. prelatus "clergyman of high rank," from L. prelatus "one preferred," from prælatus, serving as pp. of præferre (see prefer), from præ "before" + latus "borne, carried" (see oblate (n.)).

pre-law --- of or pertaining to study in preparation for law school, 1961, Amer.Eng., from pre- + law (school).

preliminary --- 1656, from Fr. préliminaire or M.L. præliminaris, from L. præ- "before" + limen (gen. liminis) "threshold." A word that arose in ref. to negotiations to end the Thirty Years' War.

prelude --- 1561, from M.Fr. prélude "notes sung or played to test the voice or instrument" (1532), from M.L. preludium "prelude, preliminary," from L. præludere "to play beforehand for practice, preface," from præ- "before" + ludere "to play" (see ludicrous). Purely musical sense first attested in Eng. 1658.

premature --- c.1529, from L. præmaturus "early ripe" (as fruit), "too early," from præ- "before" + maturus "ripe, timely" (see mature). Premature ejaculation is 1910, previously referred to in L. as ejaculatio præcox.

premed --- of or pertaining to study in preparation for medical school, 1962, from premedical (1904), from pre- + medical.

premeditation --- 1432, from L. præmeditationem (nom. præmeditatio) "consideration beforehand," from præmeditatus, pp. of præmeditari "to consider beforehand," from præ- "before" + meditari "to consider" (see meditation). Premeditated is recorded from 1590.

premenstrual --- 1885, from pre- + menstrual (q.v.). Premenstrual syndrome earlier was premenstrual tension (1928).