Definition of prescind
: to withdraw one's attention
: to detach for purposes of thought
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prescind was our Word of the Day on 02/08/2012. Hear the podcast!
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Prescind derives from the Latin verb praescindere, which means "to cut off in front." "Praescindere," in turn, was formed by combining "prae-" ("before") and "scindere" ("to cut" or "to split"). So it should come as no surprise that when "prescind" began being used during the 17th century, it referred to "cutting off" one's attention from a subject. An earlier (now archaic) sense was even clearer about the etymological origins of the word, with the meaning "to cut short, off, or away" or "to sever." Other descendants of "scindere" include "rescind" and the rare "scissile" ("capable of being cut").
Origin and Etymology of prescind
Latin praescindere to cut off in front, from prae- + scindere to cut — more at shed
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First Known Use: 1654
in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
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