1.
[syn: preterit, preterite]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Preterit \Pret"er*it\, n. (Gram.)
The preterit; also, a word in the preterit tense.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Preterit \Pret"er*it\ (?; 277), a. [L. praeteritus, p. p. of
praeterire to go or pass by; praeter beyond, by + ire to go:
cf. F. pr['e]t['e]rit. See Issue.] [Written also
preterite and pr[ae]terite.]
1. (Gram.) Past; -- applied to a tense which expresses an
action or state as past.
[1913 Webster]
2. Belonging wholly to the past; passed by. [R.]
[1913 Webster]
Things and persons as thoroughly preterite as
Romulus or Numa. --Lowell.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Preterperfect \Pre`ter*per"fect\, a. & n. [Pref. preter- +
perfect.] (Gram.)
Old name of the tense also called preterit.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
preterit
n 1: a term formerly used to refer to the simple past tense
[syn: preterit, preterite]