precinct
[pree-singkt]
- a district, as of a city, marked out for governmental or administrative purposes, or for police protection.
- Also called precinct house. the police station in such a district.
- Also called election district. one of a fixed number of districts, each containing one polling place, into which a city, town, etc., is divided for voting purposes.
- a space or place of definite or understood limits.
- Often precincts. an enclosing boundary or limit.
- precincts, the parts or regions immediately surrounding a place; environs: the precincts of a town.
- Chiefly British. the ground immediately surrounding a church, temple, or the like.
- a walled or otherwise bounded or limited space within which a building or place is situated.
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Origin of precinct
Synonyms
See more synonyms for precinct on Thesaurus.com1. ward. 4. territory. 8. compound.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for precinct
Contemporary Examples
Buses filled with cops from the 84th Precinct, where Liu had worked.
In an effort to gain early attention, he focused his attention on the Iowa precinct caucuses, which had never mattered much.
Bratton now announced that he was appointing Ramos an honorary chaplain at the 84th Precinct where he was assigned.
Ballinger was at first speechless when asked about the 75 Precinct reception.
His most recent assignment was the 84th Precinct, at the Brooklyn end of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Historical Examples
On one of these nights the Captain of the Precinct was present in plain clothes.
The UnderdogF. Hopkinson Smith
While they hold office, they shall dwell within the precinct of the God.
LawsPlato
The temple, it is true, often stood within some sort of precinct, but it was accessible to all.
ArchitectureThomas Roger Smith
Hundreds of precinct meetings were held during the whole summer.
It was not a legal duty, for law had not yet penetrated into the precinct of the Family.
Ancient LawSir Henry James Sumner Maine
precinct
- an enclosed area or building marked by a fixed boundary such as a wall
- such a boundary
- an area in a town, often closed to traffic, that is designed or reserved for a particular purposea shopping precinct; pedestrian precinct
- US
- a district of a city for administrative or police purposes
- the police responsible for such a district
- US a polling or electoral district
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Word Origin
C15: from Medieval Latin praecinctum (something) surrounded, from Latin praecingere to gird around, from prae before, around + cingere to gird
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for precinct
n.
c.1400, prasaynt (mid-15c. as precincte), "district defined for purposes of government or representation," from Medieval Latin precinctum "enclosure, boundary line," noun use of neuter past participle of Latin praecingere "to gird about, surround," from prae- "before" (see pre-) + cingere "to surround, encircle" (see cinch (v.)).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper