prelim
prelim Lexical Profile
prelim Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An informal term for a preliminary academic examination, such as a qualifying test taken before a final exam or doctoral candidacy.
"She spent the entire winter break studying for her graduate prelims in molecular biology."
A preliminary round, heat, or match in a sporting competition held to determine who qualifies for the main event or finals.
"The sprinter easily won his morning prelim to secure a middle lane in the championship race."
British In book publishing (usually in the plural, 'prelims'), the pages preceding the main text of a book, such as the title page, copyright page, table of contents, and preface.
"The typesetter used Roman numerals to number the prelims before starting page one of the first chapter."
• Rhymes for prelim
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 19th century as an informal clipping of 'preliminary', ultimately deriving from Latin 'prae-' (before) and 'limen' (threshold).