preposition

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: prep=o=si=tion

CIDE DICTIONARY

preposition, n. [L. praepositio, fr. praeponere to place before; prae before + ponere to put, place: cf. F. préposition. See Position, and cf. Provost.].

•  A word employed to connect a noun or a pronoun, in an adjectival or adverbial sense, with some other word; a particle used with a noun or pronoun (in English always in the objective case) to make a phrase limiting some other word; -- so called because usually placed before the word with which it is phrased; as, a bridge of iron; he comes from town; it is good for food; he escaped by running.  [1913 Webster]
•  A proposition; an exposition; a discourse.  [1913 Webster]

  "He made a long preposition and oration."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

preposition, n. Gram. a word governing (and usu. preceding) a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element, as in: 'the man on the platform', 'came after dinner', 'what did you do it for?'.

Derivative

prepositional adj. prepositionally adv.

Etymology

ME f. L praepositio f. praeponere praeposit- (as PRAE-, ponere place)

THESAURUS

preposition

adjectival, adjective, adverb, adverbial, adversative conjunction, attributive, conjunction, conjunctive adverb, coordinating conjunction, copulative, copulative conjunction, correlative conjunction, disjunctive, disjunctive conjunction, exclamatory noun, form class, form word, function class, gerundive, interjection, part of speech, participle, particle, past participle, perfect participle, present participle, subordinating conjunction, verbal adjective