pretreatment

1 of 2

noun

pre·​treat·​ment ˌprē-ˈtrēt-mənt 

variants or pre-treatment

plural pretreatments or pre-treatments

: an act or instance of treating someone or something in advance : preliminary or preparatory treatment

pretreatment of stains

pretreatment of a surface for painting

… pretreatment is often required to remove oil and grease from the waste water.

—John H. Sheridan

… will allow public works crews to apply salt brine to pre-treat city streets before snow events. The pre-treatment creates an additional layer that helps to melt snow …

—Kevin Thompkins

A drug called atropine can reverse the effects if administered promptly, and pretreatment with pyridostigmine can help shield the body …

—Adam Rogers

also : a substance used for such treatment

Oils give great shine, but I also use them as a pretreatment to prevent damage prior to coloring my natural hair.

—Deena Campbell

pretreatment

2 of 2

adjective

variants or pre-treatment

1

: existing or occurring before treatment

the pretreatment period

a pretreatment condition

the patient's pretreatment drug regimen

When treatment was discontinued, the condition of treated nasal muscles quickly returned to pretreatment levels.

—Michael Vaiman et al.

2

: of, relating to, or being a pretreatment

a waste pretreatment facility/system

The current chemical pretreatment process uses relatively harsh conditions to break down the tough structure of grass and other biomass.

—Phys.org

In my weekly Ask a Clean Person columns, I talk a lot about laundry boosters and stain pretreatment products …

—Jolie Kerr

Examples of pretreatment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This hands-on workshop covers basic seed physiology, viability, germination cues and pretreatments, sowing and care. —Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024

The company leases a facility connected to Speedway’s treatment plant and brings in various types of waste for pretreatment before disposal. —Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 26 Feb. 2024

The instructions say to first spray the area with Capture pre-mist carpet pretreatment & spot remover. —Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024

As soon as possible, apply an aerosol pretreatment laundry stain remover for at least one minute before washing. —Caitlin Sole, Better Homes & Gardens, 30 Sep. 2022

Haji is interested in developing methods to perform pretreatment at high pressures, which could make or break the overall feasibility of the project. —IEEE Spectrum, 21 Dec. 2023

Haji said future work will focus on the pretreatment process for water purification, which involves removing large contaminants from the water. —IEEE Spectrum, 21 Dec. 2023

But that doesn’t account for the weeks of pretreatment, prolonged hospitalization, and months of recovery required for what can ultimately be a curative therapy. —Damian Garde, STAT, 13 Dec. 2023

TxDOT has said pretreatment typically buys time in the early stages of the storm before future applications of chemicals become effective, according to NTSB. —Zaeem Shaikh, Dallas News, 31 Aug. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1899, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

pretreatment

1 of 2 noun

pre·​treat·​ment -mənt 

: preliminary or preparatory treatment

unsuccessful … in preventing tumor growth by pretreatment with vitamin A in mice

—E. L. Felix et al.

pretreatment

2 of 2 adjective

: occurring in or typical of the period prior to treatment

a patient's pretreatment blood pressure