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previous, a. (adv.)|ˈpriːvɪəs|
Also 7 prævious.
[f. L. prævi-us going before, leading the way (f. præ, pre- A. + via way) + -ous.]
A. adj.
†1. Going before or in front; leading the way. (fig. in quots.) Obs.
1658Phillips, Prævious, leading the way, or going before. 1660Cowley Ode on His Majesties Restauration vii, For in the glorious General's previous Ray We saw a new created Day. 1678H. Vaughan Thalia Rediv., Recovery, Fair vessell of our daily light, whose proud And previous glories gild that blushing cloud.
2. a. Coming or going before (in time or order); foregoing, preceding, prior, antecedent.
1625W. Pemble Justification (1629) 44 Disputes touching præuious, or fore-going dispositions. 1742Young Nt. Th. iii. 218 A previous blast foretels the rising storm. 1797Godwin Enquirer i. v. 34 The mind seems to have acquired a previous obstinacy. 1845M. Pattison Ess. (1889) I. 23 His oath of the previous evening. 1860Tyndall Glac. i. xii. 88 A previous inspection of the glacier..induced us to fix on a place.
b. With to: Coming before, preceding, antecedent to. Now rare: cf. B.
1702Steele Funeral iv, I hope my Felicity is previous to yours. 1731Pope Ep. Burlington 42 Something there is more needful than Expense, And something previous ev'n to Taste—'tis Sense. 1808Pike Sources Mississ. ii. (1810) 120 We wish to improve every moment of time previous to its [the river's] entire fall.
c. previous question (in parliamentary procedure): the question whether a vote shall be taken on the main question or issue, moved before the main question is put.
In the British Parliament, the previous question is moved for the purpose of avoiding the putting of the main question; its original form being ‘that this question be now put’, and its mover and seconder, with those in favour of shelving the main question, voting in the negative; but since 1888, to avoid frequent misunderstanding, and confusion with the closure motion then introduced, its form has been ‘that that question be not now put’, so that those who wish to shelve vote ‘Aye’. In the House of Representatives and many State legislatures in the United States, the previous question retains the original form, but is used in order to close debate and obtain an immediate vote on the main question (its supporters voting in the affirmative): see quot. 1888.
Hatsell Proc. Ho. Com. (1746) II. 104 says ‘On the 25th of May, 1604, is the first instance I have found of putting the previous question’: but the entry in the Journal of Ho. Com. on that occasion is ‘The Bill much disputed put to Question, and upon Question, dashed without one Yea’. In 1673, according to Grey's Debates (1769) II. 113, Sir T. Littleton said ‘Sir Henry Vane was the first that ever proposed putting a Question, ‘Whether the Question should be now put’’; and Sir R. Howard, who followed, said ‘This Question is like the image of the inventor, a perpetual disturbance’. The latter is erroneously quoted by Hatsell as ‘This previous question’; but no example of the phrase before 1700 has yet been pointed out.
1700–15Burnet Own Time (1766) I. 544 The previous question being then put whether the main question should be then put or not. [1710S. Sewall Diary 3 Nov., After reading papers and debates, at last they who were against the precinct, mov'd that a previous Vote might be put; whether they would vote it now, or no; and the Council was divided, so nothing was done.] 1775G. Mason in Sparks Corr. Amer. Rev. (1853) I. 62 We had..no other way of preventing improper measures, but by procrastination, urging the previous question, and giving men time to reflect. 1790Debate Ho. Com. on Repeal of Corp. & Test Acts 49 He [Mr. Burke] declared..he had formed an idea of moving the previous Question. 1817Parl. Deb. 332 The House then divided on the previous question moved by Lord Castlereagh:—Ayes..208 {vb} Noes..152 - Majority 56. 1844May Treat. Proc. Parlt. viii. 173 The previous question is an ingenious method of avoiding a vote upon any question that has been proposed... The words of this motion are, ‘That this question be now put’. 1888Bryce Amer. Commw. I. i. xiii. 177 The great remedy against.. obstructive debate is the so-called previous question, which is moved in the form, ‘Shall the main question be now put?’ and when ordered closes forthwith all debate, and brings the House to a direct vote on that main question. Ibid. 181 The ‘previous question’ is often applied to expedite appropriation bills. 1893May's Parl. Proc. ix. (ed. 10) 269 In the Commons, the words of this motion are, ‘That that question be not now put’. [Note] The Speaker, with the concurrence of the house, first put the previous question in these words, 20th March, 1888..because the motion ‘That the question be now put’, is akin to the closure motion.
transf.1724T. Chubb (title) The Previous question with regard to Religion. 1725― A Supplement to the Previous Question.
d. Previous Examination (Cambridge University): the first examination for the B.A. degree; colloquially called Little-go. (Also ellipt. as n.)
1828Gunning Cerem. Univ. Camb. 97 Previous Examination of all Persons, who take the Degree of Bachelor of Arts [etc.]. 1885Ordinances Univ. Cambr. 6 By Grace, 4 Apr. 1878, selected Candidates for the Civil Service of India who are Candidates for Honours are excused the Previous Examination. 1905Abol. Compulsory Greek (Cambridge Univ.) 6 As regards the smaller and the local schools it may be pointed out that these are practically unaffected by the requirements of the Previous... In such schools the inclusion or exclusion of Greek in the regular curriculum does not depend on the Previous Examination. 1950M. Marples University Slang 81 Soon after this date [sc. 1863] Little-go died out at Oxford, leaving the field to Smalls, and retired to Cambridge, where its official title, corresponding to Responsions, is Previous. 1979Jrnl. R. Soc. Arts Oct. 706/2 As late as 1861, the subjects were little more than a repetition of the ‘Previous’ on a slightly larger scale.
e. ellipt. as n. Previous convictions. slang.
1935G. Ingram Cockney Cavalcade x. 168 He ain't got no ‘previous’, so you ought-a get bound over, didn't yer, Jack? 1970G. F. Newman Sir, You Bastard i. 34 ‘Neither has any previous, Terry,’ Burgess said. ‘I thought perhaps the fella might have had a little bit,’ he shrugged. 1974E. Jones Barlow comes to Judgement 14 Sitting on the benches..were ten men... Nine of them had previous. The tenth had a clean record. 1977‘M. Underwood’ Murder with Malice v. 56 Anthony Rivings..five convictions for dishonesty..three other Rivings..all with previous.
3. slang or colloq. (orig. U.S.) Done, occurring, acting, etc., before the proper time; coming too soon, hasty, premature. (Usually with too.)
1885Daily Tel. 14 Dec. (Farmer Slang), He is a little before his time, a trifle previous, as the Americans say. 1890Boston (Mass.) Jrnl. 21 June 2/3 The grumbling in this matter has been too previous. 1895Boston (Mass.) Herald 11 May 6/6 Summer is too previous. 1902Westm. Gaz. 16 July 9/1 The Stock Exchange has been, in the slang of the Street, a little ‘too previous’.
B. as adv. = previously; usually previous to = before, prior to.
1719S. Sewall Diary 25 Feb., I..would have them previous to it, freely confer about it. 1747W. Horsley Fool (1748) II. 190 His being brought to Judgment here, previous to his appearing before a most solemn Judicature. 1802M. Edgeworth Moral T., Prussian Vase (1816) 217 The company, previous to his majesty's arrival, were all assembled. 1843Mill Logic iii. v. §3 The event not only exists, but begins to exist immediately previous. 1849F. W. Newman Soul 205 Previous to Ordination, they may be subjected to some literary ordeal. |