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Webster 1913 Edition


Preponderate

Pre-pon′der-ate

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Preponderated
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Preponderating
.]
[L.
praeponderatus
, p. p. of
praeponderare
;
prae
before +
ponderare
to weigh, fr.,
pondus
,
ponderis
, a weight. See
Ponder
.]
1.
To outweigh; to overpower by weight; to exceed in weight; to overbalance.
An inconsiderable weight, by distance from the center of the balance, will
preponderate
greater magnitudes.
Glanvill.
2.
To overpower by stronger or moral power.
3.
To cause to prefer; to incline; to decide.
[Obs.]
The desire to spare Christian blood
preponderates
him for peace.
Fuller.

Pre-pon′der-ate

,
Verb.
I.
To exceed in weight; hence, to incline or descend, as the scale of a balance; figuratively, to exceed in influence, power, etc.; hence; to incline to one side;
as, the affirmative side
preponderated
.
That is no just balance in which the heaviest side will not
preponderate
.
Bp. Wilkins.

Webster 1828 Edition


Preponderate

PREPOND'ERATE

,
Verb.
T.
[L. proepondero; proe, before, and pondero, to weigh.]
1.
To outweigh; to overpower by weight.
An inconsiderable weight, by distance from the center of the balance, will preponderate greater magnitudes.
2.
To overpower by stronger influence or moral power.

PREPOND'ERATE

,
Verb.
I.
To exceed in weight; hence, to incline or descend, as the scale of a balance.
That is no just balance in which the heaviest side will not preponderate.
1.
To exceed in influence or power; hence, to incline to one side.
By putting every argument on one side and the other, into the balance, we must form a judgment which side preponderates.