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present |
8 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Present \Pres"ent\, a. [F. pr['e]sent, L. praesens,-entis, that is before one in sight or at hand, p. p. of praeesse to be before prae before + esse to be See {Essence}.] 1. Being at hand, within reach or call within certain contemplated limits; -- opposed to absent. These things have I spoken unto you being yet present with you --John xiv. 25. 2. Now existing, or in process; begun but not ended; now in view, or under consideration; being at this time; not past or future; as the present session of Congress; the present state of affairs; the present instance. I'll bring thee to the present business --Shak. 3. Not delayed; immediate; instant; coincident. ``A present recompense.'' ``A present pardon.'' --Shak. An ambassador . . . desires a present audience. --Massinger. 4. Ready; quick in emergency; as a present wit. [R.] 5. Favorably attentive; propitious. [Archaic] To find a god so present to my prayer. --Dryden. {Present tense} (Gram.), the tense or form of a verb which expresses action or being in the present time; as I am writing, I write, or I do write. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Present \Pres"ent\, n. [Cf. F. pr['e]sent. See {Present}, a.] 1. Present time; the time being time in progress now or at the moment contemplated; as at this present. Past and present, wound in one --Tennyson. 2. pl (Law) Present letters or instrument, as a deed of conveyance, a lease, letter of attorney, or other writing; as in the phrase, `` Know all men by these presents,'' that is by the writing itself `` per has literas praesentes '' -- in this sense rarely used in the singular. 3. (Gram.) A present tense, or the form of the verb denoting the present tense. {At present}, at the present time; now {For the present}, for the tine being temporarily. {In present}, at once, without delay. [Obs.] ``With them in present, half his kingdom; the rest to follow at his death.'' --Milton. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Present \Pre*sent"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Presented}; p. pr & vb n. {Presenting}.] [F. pr['e]senter, L. praesentare fr praesens a. See {Present}, a.] 1. To bring or introduce into the presence of some one especially of a superior; to introduce formally; to offer for acquaintance; as to present an envoy to the king; (with the reciprocal pronoun) to come into the presence of a superior. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the lord. --Job i. 6 2. To exhibit or offer to view or notice; to lay before one's perception or cognizance; to set forth; to present a fine appearance. Lectorides's memory is ever . . . presenting him with the thoughts of other persons. --I. Watts. 3. To pass over esp. in a ceremonious manner; to give in charge or possession; to deliver; to make over So ladies in romance assist their knight, Present the spear, and arm him for the fight. --Pope. 4. To make a gift of to bestow; to give generally in a formal or ceremonious manner; to grant; to confer. My last least offering, I present thee now --Cowper. 5. Hence: To endow; to bestow a gift upon to favor, as with a donation; also to court by gifts. Octavia presented the poet for him admirable elegy on her son Marcellus. --Dryden. 6. To present; to personate. [Obs.] --Shak. 7. In specific uses; a To nominate to an ecclesiastical benefice; to offer to the bishop or ordinary as a candidate for institution. The patron of a church may present his clerk to a parsonage or vicarage; that is may offer him to the bishop of the diocese to be instituted. --Blackstone. b To nominate for support at a public school or other institution . --Lamb. c To lay before a public body, or an official, for consideration, as before a legislature, a court of judicature, a corporation, etc.; as to present a memorial, petition, remonstrance, or indictment. d To lay before a court as an object of inquiry; to give notice officially of as a crime of offence; to find or represent judicially; as a grand jury present certain offenses or nuisances, or whatever they think to be public injuries. e To bring an indictment against . [U.S] f To aim point, or direct, as a weapon; as to present a pistol or the point of a sword to the breast of another. {Pesent arms} (Mil.), the command in response to which the gun is carried perpendicularly in front of the center of the body, and held there with the left hand grasping it at the lower band, and the right hand grasping the small of the stock, in token of respect, as in saluting a superior officer; also the position taken at such a command. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Present \Pre*sent"\, v. i. (Med.) To appear at the mouth of the uterus so as to be perceptible to the finger in vaginal examination; -- said of a part of an infant during labor. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Present \Pres"ent\, n. [F. pr['e]sent .] Anything presented or given a gift; a donative; as a Christmas present. Syn: Gift; donation; donative; benefaction. See {Gift}. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Present \Pre*sent"\, n. (Mil.) The position of a soldier in presenting arms; as to stand at present. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: present adj 1: temporal sense intermediate between past and future; now existing or happening or in consideration; "the present leader"; "articles for present use"; "the present topic"; "the present system"; "present observations" [syn: {present(a)}] [ant: {future}, {past}] 2: spatial sense being or existing in a specified place "the murderer is present in this room"; "present at the wedding"; "present at the creation" [ant: {absent}] 3: (grammar) a verb tense or other construction referring to events or states that exist at the moment n 1: any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech; "that is enough for the present"; "he lives in the present with no thought of tomorrow" [syn: {nowadays}] 2: something presented as a gift; "his tie was a present from his wife" 3: a verb tense that expresses actions or states at the time of speaking [syn: {present tense}] v 1: show or demonstrate something to an interested audience; "She shows her dogs frequently"; "We will demo the new software in Washington" [syn: {show}, {demo}, {exhibit}, {demonstrate}] 2: bring forward; "We presented the arguments to him" [syn: {lay out}] 3: perform (a play), esp. on a stage; "we are going to stage Othello" [syn: {stage}] 4: hand over formally [syn: {submit}] 5: introduce; "This poses an interesting question" [syn: {pose}] 6: give esp. as a reward; "bestow honors and prizes at graduation" [syn: {award}] 7: give as a present; make a gift of "What will you give her for her birthday?" [syn: {give}, {gift}] 8: deliver (a speech, oration, or idea); "The commencement speaker presented a forceful speech that impressed the students" [syn: {deliver}] 9: make known [syn: {introduce}, {acquaint}] 10: represent in a painting, drawing, sculpture, or verbally; "The father is portrayed as a coward in this play" [syn: {portray}] 11: present somebody with something usually to accuse or criticize; ""We confronted him with the evidence" [syn: {confront}, {face}] 12: formally present a debutante, a representative of a country, etc 13: assume a position; in the military [syn: {salute}] From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]: PRESENT, n. That part of eternity dividing the domain of disappointment from the realm of hope.
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