pre-, prae-

A person who is affected with presbyopia: Dr. Hathaway, the town's opthalmologist, looked at his list of presbyopics, or those whose eyes were no longer able to focus on close-up objects, and invited the first patient into his consulting room.

Relating to farsightedness or presbyopia: Mary had a presbyopic affliction and had to have new glasses to accommodate her problem with reading easily.

Impairment of the ability to stand properly which is associated with aging: Steven's elderly neighbor was 94 years old and suffered from presbystasis and therefore always used a cane to walk.

1. An elder in former Christian and Presbyterian Churches: The presbyter was not only responsible for the care of the souls in the congregation but also for the administration of the sacraments.
2. A priest or minister in the Episcopal Church: The presbyter is a clergyman of liturgy, word, and charity and has the function of teaching and performing hieratical duties.

1. The station or place of work of an elder in a church: The office of the presbyterate was open for members of the congregation from Monday to Friday.
2. An order or a group of church officials: The presbyterate decided to convene at least once a week to discuss the issues involving the place of worship.

A member of the Protestant denomination supporting the ideas of John Calvin: As a Presbyterian and in Washington, Mr. Lawson was shown the pew that Abraham Lincoln used in the Old Presbyterian Church.

1. Pertaining to a Christian Church which is ruled or managed by a group of official people who all have the same rank: The presbyterian principles are upheld by the clerical or religious government.
2. Relating to different Protestant churches governed by elders supporting Calvinism: Presbyterian members, of which there are very many in Scotland and in the USA, adhere to the discipline, principles, doctrines, and worship of the Calvinistic oriented government.

1. A body or group of elders: A presbytery is a religious court and governing body in Presbyterian churches, comprised of a number of elders and the ministers from all the places of worship in a specific area.
2. A section of a church or building set aside for the officiating clergy: A Roman Catholic priest, for example, resides in a presbytery.

The condition of having presbyopia: Tom asked his grandfather if he was suffering from presbytism because he could only see things sharp in the far distance, but very blurry at close range, like trying to read the newspaper!

A condition of an individual prior to the onset of a severe psychiatric disorder: The time before Jack was having signs of such mental ailments, the doctor was wondering about the period in his life termed preschizophrenia.

A person with symptoms before the beginning of a psychotic disturbance: Tom was thought to be a preschizophrenic because of his way of tending toward a disorganized way of talking.

A knowledge of events before they happen; foreknowledge; foresight: Somehow Jane's mother possessed the prescience in knowing how her husband would react when she told him the truth.

1. Pertaining to an ability in knowing what will happen before it actually does occur: Those who are prescient people claim to have the gifts of foresight, clairvoyance, premonition, or prophecy.

The police gave the bank a prescient warning that they had heard that a robbery was being planned by criminals.

2. Etymology: from Latin praescient-, "knowing beforehand", from the verb praescire, from prae, "before" + scire "to know".

1. To officially follow a doctor's instructions for a patient to follow a particular course of medical treatment: Jim's doctor prescribed a medicine that had details of how often the drug had to be taken, how much was to be consumed, and other relevant information for him to follow.
2. To present rules or instructions that are to be followed exactly as presented: Mark's new employer prescribes that new workers must pass a physical examination before they can become employees or members of the company.
3. To do something that is suggested as a way to accomplish or to make an objective or an intention succeed as desired: A group of many parents is prescribing the improvement of the educational system in their community.
4. Etymology: from Latin praescribere, "to write before or in front, to order, to direct" from prae-, "before" + scribere, "to write." © ALL rights are reserved.

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1. Regarding something urged or put forward by a doctor: Sammy was sure to take the prescribed medicine every night before going to bed.
2. Pertaining to something which has been fixed, set, or laid down in a formal way, as set by a rule or order: Mrs. Timmons had to arrive at work at the prescribed time every day and without exception.

The product sold in the store has met the prescribed standards set by the government.
3. Referring to an action which conforms to set usage, discipline, or procedure: All the students in school had to leave the building in a prescribed order when the fire alarm went off.