prelection (prelekshon)

[Also prælection; You remember my last prelection of the division of the earth into parts real and imaginary? Shirley, Witty Fair One, ii. 1. An English amba ador, at the court of Philip II.'s viceroy, could indulge himself in imaginary prelections on the Æneid, in the last days of July, of the year of our Lord 1588! Motley, Hist. Netherlands, II. 403. The counteraction of these errors by the prelections of godly and experienced ministers. Hist . Anc . Merchants' Lecture. The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia IMG:content-0865.png:[blocks in formation] L. prælector, one who reads aloud to others, prælegere, read aloud: see prelect.] 1. A reader of discourses; a lecturer, particularly in a university. On the English "Ody ey" a criticism was published by Spence, at that time Prelector of Poetry at Oxford. IMG:content-0866.png:[blocks in formation] We have stirred the humors of the foolish inhabitants of the earth to insurrections, to warr and præliation. Howell , Parly of Beasts, p. 33. ( Davies .) prelibation (prē-li-bā'shon), n . [= F. prélib a tion =Pg. prelibação , prælibatio ( n- ), a tasting or taking away beforehand, prælibatus , pp . of prælibare , taste beforehand, foretaste, præ , before, + libare , take a little from, taste: see libate , libation .] 1. The act of tasting beforehand or by anticipation; a foretaste. In the first chapter of Genesis is also a prelibation of those illustrious truths which are more fully and circumstantially delivered in the second and third. Dr. H. More, Def. of Moral Cabbala, iv., App. Prelibations , as of some heavenly vintage, were inhaled by the Virgils of the day looking forward in the spirit of prophetic rapture. De Quincey , Philos. of Rom. Hist. ludicrous. Cf. allude, collude, elude, illude. The E. verb is in part from the noun: see prelude, n.] I. trans. 1. To preface; prepare the way for; introduce as by a prelude; foreshadow. The literary change from alliteration to rhyme was mainly coeval with the Reformation; preluded by Chaucer a century and a half before. E. Wadham , Eng. Versification, p. 12. Here might be urged the nece ity for preluding the study of moral science by the study of biological science. H. Spencer , Data of Ethics, § 38. Dan Chaucer, the first warbler, whose sweet breath Preluded those melodious bursts that fill The spacious times of great Elizabeth With sounds that echo still. Tennyson , Fair Women. 2. Specifically, in music , to play a prelude to; introduce by a musical prelude. And I-my harp would prelude woe- I cannot all command the strings; The glory of the sum of things Will flash acro the chords and go. Tennyson , In Memoriam, 1xxxviii. 3. To serve as a prelude to; precede as a mus i cal prelude. Beneath the sky's triumphal arch This music sounded like a march, And with its chorus seemed to be Preluding some great tragedy. Long fellow, Occultation of Orion. II. in trans. 1. To perform a prelude or in troduction; give a preface to later action; es IMG:content-0867.png:[blocks in formation] No forfeiture, and of its fruits he sends Large prelibation oft to saints below. viously. Cowper , Task, v. 574. preliminarily (prē-lim'i-nā-ri-li), adv . In a preliminary manner; as a preliminary; pre preliminary (prē-lim'i-nā-ri), a . and n . [= F. préliminaire = Sp. Pg. preliminar = It. prelim in are, * præliminaris (in adv. præ liminariter ), præ , before, + limen ( limin- ) , a threshold: see limit .] I. a. Preceding and leading up to something more important; introductory; preparatory; prefatory. I shall premise some preliminary considerations to prepare the way of holine . Jer . Taylor , Works, III. iii. Swedish customs already appeared, in a preliminary decanter of lemon-colored brandy, a thimbleful of which was taken with a piece of bread and sausage, before the soup appeared. B. Taylor , Northern Travel, p. 14. Preliminary injunction. See ad interim injunction, under injunction. - Preliminary judgment. See judg ment.=Syn. Preliminary, Preparatory, Introductory, proemial. The first three agree in differing from the words compared under previous, in that they imply a nece ary connection between that which precedes and that which follows, the latter being the e ential thing. That which is preliminary literally brings one to the threshold of a discourse, contract, or the like; that which is preparatory prepares one, as to consider a proposition, subject, etc.; that which is introductory brings one inside the matter in question: as, a truce preliminary to a treaty; a disposition of troops preparatory to an attack; remarks introductory to the statement of one's theme. II. n.; pl. preliminaries (-riz). Something which introduces or leads up to following matter or events; an introductory or preparatory statement, measure, action, etc.; a preface; a prelude. A serpent, which, as a preliminary to fascination, is said to fill the air with his peculiar odor. Hawthorne, Seven Gables, viii. On entering the abbey, she [Anne Boleyn] was led to the coronation chair, where she sat while the train fell into their places, and the preliminaries of the ceremonial were despatched. Froude , Sketches, p. 179. prelingual (prē-ling'gwal), a. [ The first is the prelingual state, in which impre ions of outward objects exist in the mind as inarticulate, voicele concepts. J. Owen , Evenings with Skeptics, II. 364. Theoretical admirers of the prelingual period are, po ibly, scattered here and there to this day. F. Hall , Mod. Eng., p. 334.