pre-, prae-

1. To preoccupy the mind to the exclusion of other thoughts or feelings.
2. To influence beforehand against or in favor of someone or something; prejudice.
3. To impress favorably in advance.

1. The state of being preoccupied with thoughts, opinions, or feelings.
2. An opinion formed beforehand without adequate evidence.

1. Contrary to nature, reason, or common sense; absurd.
2. Completely devoid of wisdom or good sense.
3. Having that first which ought to be last; inverted in order.
4. Contrary to nature or reason; not adapted to the end; utterly and glaringly foolish; unreasonably absurd; perverted.
5. Synonyms: absurd, perverted, wrong, irrational, foolish, monstrous.
6. Etymology: from Latin pręposterus, "absurd, contrary to nature"; literally, "before-behind" ("topsy-turvy", "cart before the horse", etc.), from prae-, "before" plus posterus, "subsequent, after".

Anything which is preposterous is literally "hind-side before", or utterly ridiculous. A preposterous story is as ridiculous as a horse whose hind part, or tail, is situated where its head should be.

1. Greater in power, influence, or force than another or others; predominant.
2. Great influence; superiority.
3. Preferential fertilization of a flower by pollen from another flower, rather than its own.

Before dinner; done, made, taken, happening, etc. before dinner.

1. Of or relating to symptoms, or to the period of time, prior to the onset of a psychosis.
2. Denoting a potential for a psychotic episode, one that appears imminent under continued stress.

1. Prior to the attainment of puberty; before puberty.
2. Referring to the period of accelerated growth preceding gonadal maturity.

The period of life preceding puberty; especially, the two or three years immediately before puberty.

1. At or characteristic of the stage of life just before puberty.
2. A child at the stage of development just before puberty.
3. Relating to or in the period preceding puberty.
4. A reference to the period before children start to develop adult sexual characteristics.

1. A movie or novel set at a time preceding the action of an existing work, especially one that has achieved commercial success.
2. A book, film, etc., the events portrayed or the concerns of which precede those of an existing completed work.