Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Preponderate?

\Pre*pon"der*ate\, v. 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\, v. 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.