/ ˈpriːsɪŋkt; NAmE / noun
1.
( BrE ) a commercial area in a town where cars cannot go :
a pedestrian / shopping precinct
2.
( NAmE ) one of the parts into which a town or city is divided in order to organize elections
3.
( NAmE ) a part of a city that has its own police station; the police station in this area :
Detective Hennessy of the 44th precinct
The murder occurred just a block from the precinct.
4.
[ usually pl. ] the area around a place or a building, sometimes surrounded by a wall :
the cathedral / college precincts
within the precincts of the castle
••
WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (denoting an administrative district): from medieval Latin praecinctum , neuter past participle (used as a noun) of praecingere encircle, from prae before + cingere gird.