/pray"seuh/ ; It. /prdde"zah/ , n. , pl. prese /-say/ ; It. /-ze/ .
a mark, as :S:, +, used in a canon, round, etc., to indicate where the successive voice parts are to take up the theme.
[ 1715-25; preso, ptp. of prendere to take prehendere to seize; see PREHENSION ]