| prevailing | 1. Having superior force or influence; efficacious; persuasive. "Saints shall assist thee with prevailing prayers." (Rowe) 2. Predominant; prevalent; most general; as, the prevailing disease of a climate; a prevailing opinion. Synonym: See Prevalent. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| prevalence | <statistics> The proportion of individuals in a population having a disease. (05 Mar 1998) |
| prevalence index | <statistics> A weighted average measure of the sum of the frequency of occurrences of all species along a single transect or as calculated for a plant community by averaging the prevalence index of all sample transects through the community. (05 Mar 1998) |
| prevalence models | <epidemiology> Prevalence models are compartmental models dividing the host population into, for example, susceptible, latent, infectious and immune individuals. (05 Dec 1998) |
| prevalent | 1. Gaining advantage or superiority; having superior force, influence, or efficacy; prevailing; predominant; successful; victorious. "Brennus told the Roman embassadors, that prevalent arms were as good as any title." (Sir W. Raleigh) 2. most generally received or current; most widely adopted or practiced; also, generally or extensively existing; widespread; prevailing; as, a prevalent observance; prevalent disease. "This was the most received and prevalent opinion." (Woodward) Synonym: Prevailing, predominant, successful, efficacious, powerful. Prevalent, Prevailing. What customarily prevails is prevalent; as, a prevalent fashion. What actually prevails is prevailing; as, the prevailing winds are west. Hence, prevailing is the livelier and more pointed word, since it represents a thing in action. It is sometimes the stronger word, since a thing may prevail sufficiently to be called prevalent, and yet require greater strength to make it actually prevailing. Origin: L. Praevalens, -entis, p. Pr. Of praevalere. See Prevail. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| prevaricate | 1. To shift or turn from one side to the other, from the direct course, or from truth; to speak with equivocation; to shuffle; to quibble; as, he prevaricates in his statement. "He prevaricates with his own understanding." (South) 2. To collude, as where an informer colludes with the defendant, and makes a sham prosecution. 3. To undertake a thing falsely and deceitfully, with the purpose of defeating or destroying it. Synonym: To evade, equivocate, quibble, shuffle. Prevaricate, Evade, Equivocate. One who evades a question ostensibly answers it, but really turns aside to some other point. He who equivocate uses words which have a double meaning, so that in one sense he can claim to have said the truth, though he does in fact deceive, and intends to do it. He who prevaricates talks all round the question, hoping to "dodge" it, and disclose nothing. Origin: L. Praevaricatus, p. P. Of praevaricari to walk crookedly, to collude; prae = before + varicare to straddle, fr. Varicus straddling, varus bent. See Varicose. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| prevenance | <psychology> A going before; anticipation in sequence or order. "The law of prevenance is simply the well-known law of phenomenal sequence." Origin: F. Prevenance. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| preventable | Capable of being prevented or hindered; as, preventable diseases. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| preventer | 1. One who goes before; one who forestalls or anticipates another. 2. One who prevents or obstructs; a hinderer; that which hinders; as, a preventer of evils or of disease. 3. An auxiliary rope to strengthen a mast. Preventer bolts, or Preventer plates. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| prevention | A going before: state of being before: precedence, anticipation, forestalment, preventive, precaution. (18 Nov 1997) |
| prevention of significant deterioration | (PSD) Under the Clean Air act, a planning and management process for air quality when a new source of air pollution is proposed in an area where ambient air quality is better than applicable standards (areas of special importance). (05 Dec 1998) |
| preventive | 1. Going before; preceding. "Any previous counsel or preventive understanding." (Cudworth) 2. Tending to defeat or hinder; obviating; preventing the access of; as, a medicine preventive of disease. "Physic is either curative or preventive." (Sir T. Browne) Preventive service, the duty performed by the armed police in guarding the coast against smuggling. Origin: Cf. F. Preventif. That which prevents, hinders, or obstructs; that which intercepts access; in medicine, something to prevent disease; a prophylactic. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| preventive dentistry | The branch of dentistry concerned with the prevention of disease and the maintenance and promotion of oral health. (12 Dec 1998) |
| preventive dose | The smallest amount of any substance that will prevent occurrence of symptoms of a disease or the consequences of a lack of a particular factor in the diet. (05 Mar 2000) |
| preventive health services | Services designed for promotion of health and prevention of disease. (12 Dec 1998) |