Hypertext Webster Gateway: "pretor"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Pretor \Pre"tor\, n. [L. praetor, for praeitor, fr. praeire to
go before; prae before + ire to go. See {Issue}.]
1. (Rom. Antiq.) A civil officer or magistrate among the
ancient Romans.
Note: Originally the pretor was a kind of third consul; but
at an early period two pretors were appointed, the
first of whom (praetor urbanus) was a kind of mayor or
city judge; the other (praetor peregrinus) was a judge
of cases in which one or both of the parties were
foreigners. Still later, the number of pretors, or
judges, was further increased.
2. Hence, a mayor or magistrate. [R.] --Dryden.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
pretor
n : an annually elected magistrate of the ancient Roman Republic
[syn: {praetor}]
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