premedial
|pre-me-di-al|
/ˌpriːˈmiːdiəl/
before the middle
Etymology
'premedial' originates from Latin, specifically the elements 'prae' and 'medialis', where 'prae-' meant 'before' and 'medius' meant 'middle'.
'premedial' was formed in Modern English by combining the prefix 'pre-' (from Latin 'prae') with 'medial' (from Latin 'medialis'), following the pattern of compound adjectives describing position relative to the middle.
Initially, it meant 'before the middle', and over time it has retained that technical/descriptive meaning in contexts such as anatomy and entomology.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Adjective 1
situated before the middle; anterior to the median line (used especially in descriptions of insects' wings, e.g. a premedial line).
The moth has a distinct premedial line on its forewing.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2026/01/05 20:52