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preprandial

/priˈprændiəl/
IPA guide

Anything preprandial happens before eating a meal. If you find yourself starving after school, you might have a preprandial snack to tide you over until dinner.

Preprandial adds the "before" prefix, pre- to the Latin root prandium, "luncheon," or "a meal." It's not a very common adjective these days, and you're most likely to hear it used in a joking manner, or possibly in a doctor's instructions. A preprandial dose of medicine, for example, is supposed to be taken right before you eat. And you might be happy to see the preprandial bread basket a waiter brings before taking your order.

Definitions of preprandial
  1. adjective
    preceding a meal (especially dinner)
    “a preprandial drink”
    see moresee less
    antonyms:
    postprandial
    following a meal (especially dinner)
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