#66 preclude ~ prodigal Flashcards
preclude
/prɪˈklud/
v. to prevent sth. from ever happening
- Ann feared that her abysmal academic career might preclude her becoming a brain surgeon.
precursor
/prɪˈkɜrsər, ˈprikɜr-/
n. forerunner; sth. that goes before and anticipates or paves the way for whatever it is that follows
- The arrival of a million-dollar check in the mail might be the precursor of a brand-new car.
- A sore throat is often the precursor of a cold.
- Hard work on the practice field might be the precursor of success on the playing field.
predilection
/ˌprɛdlˈɛkʃən, ˌprid-/
n. a natural preference for sth.
- The impatient judge had a predilection for well-prepared lawyers who said what they meant and didn’t waste his time.
- Joe’s predilection for saturated fats had added roughly a foot to his waistline in the past twenty years.
preeminent
/priˈɛmənənt/
adj. better than anyone else; outstanding; supreme
- The nation’s preeminent harpsichordist would be the best harpsichordist in the nation.
- The Nobel Prize-winning physicist was preeminent in his field but he was still a lousy teacher.
preempt
/priˈɛmpt/
v. to seize sth. by prior right
When television show A preempts television show B, television show A is shown at the time usually reserved for television show B. The word preempt implies that television show A is more important than television show B and thus has a greater right to the time slot.
A preemptive action is one that is undertaken in order to prevent some other action from being undertaken.
- When the air force launched a preemptive strike against the missile base, the air force was attacking the missiles in order to prevent the missiles from attacking the air force.
premise
/ˈprɛmɪs/
n. an assumption; the basis for a conclusion
- In deciding to eat all the ice cream in the freezer, my premise was that if I didn’t do it, you would.
- Based on the premise that two wrongs don’t make a right, I forgave him for insulting me rather than calling him a nasty name.
prepossess
/ˌpripəˈzɛs/
v. to preoccupy; to influence beforehand or prejudice; to make a good impression on beforehand
This word has several common meanings. Be careful.
When a person is prepossessed by an idea, he or she can’t get it out of his or her mind.
- My dream of producing energy from old chewing-gum wrappers prepossessed me, and I lost my job, my home, my wife, and my children.
- Experience had prepossessed Larry’s mother not to believe him when he said that someone else had broken the window; Larry had broken it every other time, so she assumed that he had broken it this time.
- The new girl in the class was extremely prepossessing. The minute she walked into the room, her classmates rushed over to introduce themselves.
unprepossessing
/ˌʌnpripəˈzɛsɪŋ/
adj. unimpressive (but the word is only mildly negative)
- The quaint farmhouse had an unprepossessing exterior, but a beautiful interior. Who would have imagined?
prerogative
/prɪˈrɒgətɪv, pəˈrɒg-/
n. a right or privilege connected exclusively with a position, a person, a class, a nation, or some other group or classification
- Giving traffic tickets to people he didn’t like was one of the prerogatives of Junior’s job as a policeman.
- Sentencing people to death is a prerogative of many kings and queens.
- Big mansions and fancy cars are among the prerogatives of wealth.
prevail
/prɪˈveɪl/
v. to triumph; to overcome rivals; (with on, upon, or with) to persuade
When justice prevails, it means that good defeats evil.
- The prosecutor prevailed in the murder trial; the defendant was found guilty.
- My mother prevailed on me to make my bed. She told me she would punish me if I didn’t, so I did.
prevailing
/prɪˈveɪlɪŋ/
adj. most frequent or predominant
- The prevailing opinion on a topic is the one that most people hold.
- If the prevailing winds are out of the north, then the wind is out of the north most of the time.
- A prevailing theory is the one most widely held at the time. It is prevalent (/ˈprɛvələnt/).
pristine
/ˈprɪstin, prɪˈstin; especially British ˈprɪstaɪn/
adj. original; unspoiled; pure
An antique in pristine condition is one that hasn’t been tampered with over the years. It’s still in its original condition.
A pristine mountain stream is a stream that hasn’t been polluted.
prodigal
/ˈprɒdɪgəl/
adj. wastefully extravagant
- The chef was prodigal with his employer’s money, spending thousands of dollars on ingredients for what was supposed to be a simple meal.
- The young artist was prodigal with his talents: He wasted time and energy on greeting cards that might have been devoted to serious paintings.
- The prodigal gambler soon found that he couldn’t afford even a two-dollar bet.
To be prodigal is to be characterized by prodigality.
