I. pres·ent ˈprez ə nt noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from presenter to present
1. : something presented or given : donation , gift
Christmas presents
brought home presents for the children
2. : presentation 1
made her a present of a diamond necklace
II. pre·sent prēˈzent, prə̇ˈ- verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English presenten, from Old French presenter, from Latin praesentare, from praesent-, praesens, present participle of praeesse
transitive verb
1.
a. : to bring or introduce into the presence of someone (as a superior) : to introduce for acquaintance
the ambassador was presented to the president
the small boy presented himself before his father
offered to present his friend to the attractive young lady
b. : to dedicate by bringing before or into the presence of God
presented Christ in the temple
c. : to introduce formally at court especially to the sovereign
d. : to bring (a candidate) before university authorities for examination or for conferral of a degree
e. : to bring (as an entertainer) before the public
2. : to make a present or donation to : furnish or provide (as a person) with something by way of a present or gift
3.
a. : to lay or put before a person for acceptance : offer as a gift : give or bestow formally
b. : to offer or convey by way of message, greeting, or compliment
c. : to hand or pass over usually in a ceremonious way : deliver formally for acceptance
4.
a. : to lay (as a charge) before a court as an object of inquiry : give notice officially of (as a crime or offense) : find or represent judicially
the grand jury presented many offenses
b.
(1) : to bring a formal public charge against : charge formally : accuse
(2) : to bring an indictment or presentment against
5. : to nominate (a clergyman) to a benefice
6. archaic : to represent (a character) on the stage : act the part of : perform , personate
7. obsolete : to make an open offer of (as battle)
8. : to aim, point, or direct so as to face something or in a particular direction
9. : manifest
patients who present symptoms of malaria
intransitive verb
1. : to make a presentation of a clergyman to the ordinary for institution to an ecclesiastical office
2. : to present a weapon (as a rifle)
3. obsolete : to blow favorably — used of the wind
4.
a. : to become directed toward the opening of the uterus — used especially of parts of a fetus
premature babies which present by breech — Year Book of Obstetrics & Gynecology
b. : to become manifest
gonorrhea in heterosexual men typically presents as an anterior urethritis with a spontaneous purulent urethral exudate and dysuria — A.W.Karchmer
5. : to come forward as a patient
Synonyms: see offer
III. present noun
( -s )
1. : the position of a firearm ready to be fired or of a lance or similar weapon ready to be used in attack
bring the rifle down to the present
2. : the position of present arms
soldiers standing at present
IV. pres·ent ˈprez ə nt adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin praesent-, praesens, present participle of praeesse to be before one, be at hand, from prae- pre- + esse to be — more at is
1. : now existing or in progress : begun but not ended : now being in view, being dealt with, or being under consideration : being at this time : not past or future : contemporary
to understand the present institutions we must … comprehend something of their history — J.B.Conant
12 pioneer papers have survived to the present day — American Guide Series: Minnesota
in 1909 the … house again burned and the present hostelry of the same name was built — American Guide Series: New Hampshire
2.
a. : being in one place and not elsewhere : being within reach, sight, or call or within contemplated limits : being in view or at hand : being before, beside, with, or in the same place as someone or something
both men were present at the meeting
present company excepted
— used interjectionally to indicate one's presence especially in answer to a roll call
b. : existing in something (as a class or case) mentioned or under consideration
in the Hemiptera … wings may be present or absent — T.H.Huxley
3. : constituting the one actually involved, at hand, or being considered
the present writer
the present volume
4. : of, relating to, or constituting a verb tense that is expressive of present time or the time of speaking
5. : existing at or belonging to the time under consideration : contemporaneous with a specified past time
there existed in preconquest England a church … united to the see of Rome by ancient tradition and present reverence — F.M.Stenton
6. obsolete
a. : having one's mind or thoughts directed toward a matter at hand : intent upon something : attentive
b. : having self-possession : collected
7. archaic : immediately accessible or available (as in providing assistance) : ready at hand
this sum … was a large and present resource — James Mill
8. archaic : immediately operative or effective : immediate , instant
the queen … demanded the present payment of some arrears — Thomas Fuller
an ambassador … desires a present audience — Philip Massinger
V. present noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin praesent-, praesens, from praesent-, praesens, present participle of praeesse
1.
a. obsolete : present occasion or affair : business or action in hand
b. presents plural : the present words or statements : the present legal instrument (as a deed of conveyance, lease, or power of attorney) or other writing : the document in which these words are used
know all men by these present
2.
a. : the present tense of a language
b. : a verb form in the present tense
3. : the present time : the time being or contemplated
another of those periods, much like the present — Ruth Moore
from 1700 to the present — Bulletin of Bates College
— compare future 1, past
•
- at present
- at this present
- for the present
- in present