The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Precede \Pre*cede"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Preceded; p. pr. &
   vb. n. Preceding.] [L. praecedere, praecessum; prae before
   + cedere to go, to be in motion: cf. F. pr['e]ceder. See
   Pre-, and Cede.]
   1. To go before in order of time; to occur first with
      relation to anything. "Harm precedes not sin." --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To go before in place, rank, or importance.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To cause to be preceded; to preface; to introduce; -- used
      with by or with before the instrumental object. [R.]
      [1913 Webster]

            It is usual to precede hostilities by a public
            declaration.                          --Kent.
      [1913 Webster] Precedence

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

precede
    v 1: be earlier in time; go back further; "Stone tools precede
         bronze tools" [syn: predate, precede, forego,
         forgo, antecede, antedate] [ant: follow,
         postdate]
    2: come before; "Most English adjectives precede the noun they
       modify" [syn: precede, predate]
    3: be the predecessor of; "Bill preceded John in the long line
       of Susan's husbands" [syn: precede, come before] [ant:
       come after, follow, succeed]
    4: move ahead (of others) in time or space [syn: precede,
       lead] [ant: follow]
    5: furnish with a preface or introduction; "She always precedes
       her lectures with a joke"; "He prefaced his lecture with a
       critical remark about the institution" [syn: precede,
       preface, premise, introduce]