a. [ L. prior former, previous, better, superior; compar. corresponding to primus first, and pro for. See Former, and cf. Prime, a., and Pre-, Pro-. ]
n. [ OE. priour, OF. priour, prior, priur, F. prieur, from L. prior former, superior. See Prior, a. ]
Conventical prior,
Conventual prior
Claustral prior,
n. a prior conviction; -- said of an accused criminal. [ informal ] [ PJC ]
n. [ LL. prioratus: cf. F. priorat. ] The dignity, office, or government, of a prior. T. Warton. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ OF. prioresse. ] A lady superior of a priory of nuns, and next in dignity to an abbess. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t. To order or rank (a list of tasks) according to priority; to assign a priorities to. [ WordNet 1.5 ]
n. [ Cf. F. priorité. See Prior, a. ]
Priority of debts,
adv. Previously. [ R. ] Geddes. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. The state or office of prior; priorate. [ 1913 Webster ]
n.;
☞ Of such houses there were two sorts: one where the prior was chosen by the inmates, and governed as independently as an abbot in an abbey; the other where the priory was subordinate to an abbey, and the prior was placed or displaced at the will of the abbot. [ 1913 Webster ]
Alien priory,