prepend

¹ American  

[pree-pend] / priˈpɛnd /

verb (used with object)

prepended, prepending

1. Archaic. to consider or intend beforehand.

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prepend ² American  

[pree-pend] / priˈpɛnd /

verb (used with object)

prepended, prepending

1. to add or append (a character, string, prefix, etc.) at the beginning of something else.

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Explanation

To prepend is to contemplate or consider — in other words, to plan ahead. If you prepend the possibility of rain later in the day, you'll bring your umbrella with you! The original meaning of prepend, to premeditate, is rarely used today. The word derives from the Latin pre-, "before," and pendere, "to hang or weigh." A more common, informal definition of prepend comes from computing: "add at the beginning of something." Someone might tell you to prepend the area code before dialing a long-distance phone number or remind you that you don't have to prepend http:www before entering a web page in your browser.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

prepend prepended prepending

"If you prepend a semicolon to the line, the translation routine will pass it through unaltered." :prestidigitization: /pres`t*-di`j*-ti:-zay'sh*n/ /n./

From The Jargon File, Version 4.0.0, 24 Jul 1996 by Raymond, Eric S.

"If you prepend a semicolon to the line, the translation routine will pass it through unaltered." :prestidigitization: /pres`t*-di`j*-ti:-zay'sh*n/ n.

From The Jargon File, Version 2.9.10, 01 Jul 1992 by Raymond, Eric S.

"If you prepend a semicolon to the line, the translation routine will pass it through unaltered."

From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Steele, Guy L.

“Neither Puget Sound, nor Hood Canal, nor any numbered highway, are prepended with the word ‘the,'” reader Liz Fallin echoed.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 29, 2023

It comes in four colors, all prepended with the word “aura” to connote that everything has a kind of iridescent shimmer to it.

From The Verge ● Aug. 7, 2019

Most of the bands here, excluding electro-pop headliner Phantogram, traffic in the same sort of catchy radio rock that’s just quirky enough to have the word “indie” prepended to it in a press release.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 6, 2014

All this prepending of the data with headers causes memory moves in both the sending and the receiving machines.

From Hitchhiker's Guide to the Internet by Krol, Ed