▪ I. † ˈpreoccupate, a. Obs. rare—0.
[ad. L. præoccupāt-us, pa. pple. of præoccupāre to preoccupy.]
= preoccupated.
| 1656 Blount Glossogr., Preoccupate, prevented, over⁓reached, taken aforehand. |
▪ II. † ˈpreoccupate, v. Obs.
[f. ppl. stem of L. præoccupāre to preoccupy: see occupate v.]
1. trans. To take possession of or seize upon beforehand or before another; to usurp.
| 1586 J. Ferne Blaz. Gentrie 311 If..any other Captayne shall with hys insigne preoccupate the place of honor. 1592 Nashe Strange Newes L j b, My heart is præoccupated with better spirits, which have left no house roome. 1628 Hobbes Thucyd. (1822) 76 The Thebans foreseeing the war, desired to preoccupate Platea. 1727 Philip Quarll 252 The late Omen of approaching Evil had preoccupated his Thoughts. |
2. To take at unawares, surprise, overtake.
| 1582 N.T. (Rhem.) Gal. vi. 1 If a man be preoccupated in any fault, ye that are spiritual, instruct such an one in the spirit of lenitie. 1630 S. Lennard tr. Charron's Wisd. (1658) 59 The Spirit being preoccupated, tainted and overcome. 1650 Trapp Comm. Deut. xxxii. 5 They are preoccupated, taken at unawares. 1654 Ibid., Ps. li. 14 If Davids adultery was a sin of infirmity (he was preoccupated, as Gal. 6. 1). |
3. To take possession of the mind beforehand; to prepossess; to influence, bias, prejudice.
| 1582 N.T. (Rhem.) Pref. b ij b, If the preiudice of any erroneous persuasion preoccupate the mind. 1624 Wotton Archit. in Reliq. (1651) 256 Lest the pleasure of the Eye preoccupate the Judgment. 1647 Trapp Comm. Acts xxv. 11 A corrupt Judge, notoriously forestalled and preoccupated. 1681 Hickeringill Vind. Naked Truth 2 To preoccupate and prepossess his Readers with an opinion of his Modesty. |
4. To meet in advance; anticipate; forestall.
| 1588 Reg. Privy Council Scot. IV. 287 Drawing in of strangearis, and, to preoccupat thair arryvall, hes causit his speciall kynnismen and houshald servandis surprise and occupy his Hienes awne houssis. 1607–12 Bacon Ess., Death (Arb.) 384 Revenge triumphes over death, love esteemes it not..greif flyeth to it, feare preoccupateth it. 1678 Cudworth Intell. Syst. 258 This objection is thus preoccupated by Plato. |
5. To cause to seize upon beforehand. rare—1.
| 1603 Florio Montaigne (1634) 503 Why is not some one of them possessed with the humor to preoccupate on his companions the glory of this chaste love? |
Hence † preˈoccupated ppl. a.; † preˈoccupating vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| 1591 R. Turnbull Exp. St. James 128 The mocking and ironicall preoccupating and preuenting of the objection. 1651 H. L'Estrange Answ. Mrq. Worcester 77 We should leave the deciding of the sense..to the pre-occupated understanding of one of the Advocates. 1651 tr. Bergerac's Satyr. Char. xiii. 52 For fear, least the pre-occupated should conclude, that 'tis the devill that speaks in him. |