Those gave way to torrents of the hatred, imprecation, and entreaty that have welled in Cyprus (Harper's).
The angry man shouted imprecations after the children who had broken his window.
Useful english dictionary. 2012.
pre-emp|tion — pre|emp|tion or pre emp|tion «pree EHMP shuhn», noun. 1. U.S. and Canada. the act or right of purchasing before others or in preference to others: »It is neither right nor legal that Mr. Hardy s preemption should gobble up over 250 acres of hay… … Useful english dictionary
pre|lec´tion — pre|lect «prih LEHKT», intransitive verb. to discourse publicly; deliver a lecture. Also, praelect. ╂[< Latin praelēctus, past participle of praelegere read to others, lecture upon < prae before + legere read] –pre|lec´tion, noun.… … Useful english dictionary
pre|cau|tion|al — «prih K shuh nuhl», adjective. = precautionary. (Cf. ↑precautionary) … Useful english dictionary
pre|cau|tion|ar|y — «prih K shuh NEHR ee», adjective. of or using precaution: »He wore warm clothes as a precautionary measure against catching a cold. ... throwing a precautionary glance around, as if to assure himself that we were not alone (Charles Lever) … Useful english dictionary
pre|cau|tion — «prih K shuhn», noun. 1. care taken beforehand; thing done beforehand to ward off evil or secure good results: »Locking doors is a precaution against thieves. SYNONYM(S): safeguard. 2. a taking care beforehand; prudent foresight: »Proper… … Useful english dictionary
pre|da|tion — «pree DAY shuhn», noun. 1. the act or habit of preying on another animal or animals; predatory behavior: »Any food chain, after the first plant eating animal, is a succession of predations (Tracy I. Storer). 2. Obsolete. the act of plundering or… … Useful english dictionary
pre|dic|tion — «prih DIHK shuhn», noun. 1. a thing predicted; prophecy: »The official predictions about the weather often come true. Many authorities…insist economists should never make precise predictions (Newsweek). SYNONYM(S): augury, prognostication. 2. the … Useful english dictionary
pre|no|tion — «pree NOH shuhn», noun. a previous notion; preconceived idea; preconception. ╂[< Latin praenōtiō, ōnis preconception < prae before + nōtiō, ōnis concept, definition < nōscere become acquainted] … Useful english dictionary
pre|scrip|tion — «prih SKRIHP shuhn», noun. 1. the act of prescribing. 2. something prescribed; order; direction: »Figurative. He was carrying no “prescription” for peace in the Far East in his mission to Peiping(New York Times). 3. a written direction or order… … Useful english dictionary
pre|sump|tion — «prih ZUHMP shuhn», noun. 1. unpleasant boldness: »It is presumption to go to a party when one has not been invited. SYNONYM(S): forwardness, effrontery. 2. a) a thing taken for granted; assumption; supposition: »As his mouth was sticky, the… … Useful english dictionary
pre|ven|tion — «prih VEHN shuhn», noun. 1. the action of preventing; hindering: »the prevention of fire. 2. something that prevents: »The precautions were a prevention against fire … Useful english dictionary
