[pret.er.it] or pret.er.ite adj [ME preterit, fr. MF, fr. L praeteritus, fr. pp. of praeterire to go by, pass, fr. praeter beyond, past, by (fr. compar. of prae before) + ire to go--more at for, issue] (14c) archaic: bygone, former
[2]preterit or preterite n (14c): past tense