preset

[ verb, adjective pree-set; noun pree-set ]

verb (used with object),pre·set, pre·set·ting.

to set beforehand.
to set (an electric or electronic appliance) to become activated at a designated time: We preset the coffeemaker to go on at 6 a.m.

to adjust (a connector, switch, or the like) so that when activated it will perform a designated function: The tuning buttons on the radio are preset to my favorite FM stations.

adjective

set in advance: a preset radio adjusted to receive certain stations.
(of the guidance system of a missile or the course of flight it determines) set before launching to reach a specific destination without any alteration in response to signals from the ground.

noun

a knob or button that activates a preset appliance: Just push the preset and coffee will be ready when you get up.
a similar device on a radio that can be activated to tune in a preselected station.

Origin of preset

First recorded in 1930–35; pre- + set

Other words from preset

pre·set·ta·ble, adjective

Words Nearby preset

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use preset in a sentence

It can accommodate meals up to 13 inches in width and features a dial with nine preset cooking functions for easy operation.
Best toaster oven: Save counter space and time with our toaster oven picks | Julian Cubilllos | February 5, 2021 | Popular-Science
In truth, the Texans’ behavior this season tells us more about the NFL’s preset dehumanization than any encouraging video Goodell could make.
Deshaun Watson is taking a stand against disingenuous NFL owners. It could change the league. | Jerry Brewer | February 1, 2021 | Washington Post
Most budget-friendly options will come in countertop form and come with basic presets like defrost and express cooking.
The best microwaves: This way for buttery popcorn and tempting leftovers | PopSci Commerce Team | January 22, 2021 | Popular-Science
It features six presets, rather than sliders, so it’s an imperfect science.
Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Pro are a solid AirPods alternative | Brian Heater | January 15, 2021 | TechCrunch
If you want to use image presets, they also typically work much better on raw files.
How and when to shoot with Apple’s hidden new photo format | Stan Horaczek | December 16, 2020 | Popular-Science

To easily switch between sounds, the organ is outfitted with dozens of preset buttons like the kind found in old radios.
How to Save Silent Movies: Inside New Jersey’s Cinema Paradiso | Rich Goldstein | October 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
While it came with multiple different preset control styles, it was still an inferior system.
Video Games Go Wild for Reboots | Alec Kubas-Meyer | July 6, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Most devices ship with a standard preset username/password pair, which should be reset to a unique key.
Your Refrigerator Is Vulnerable to a Cyberattack | Kevin Epstein | January 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
I preset two forward radiators for forty kilometers at low condensation, with a three kilometer radius at surface.
Indirection | Everett B. Cole
The gyros on each projectile had been preset for a circular flight of fifteen minutes' duration.
Sabotage in Space | Carey Rockwell
Were an apology necessary for the preset work, such statements as these would be amply sufficient.
The History of Prostitution | William W. Sanger
His eye swept his panel, to see if anything had been preset.
Next Door, Next World | Robert Donald Locke

British Dictionary definitions for preset

preset

/ (prɪˈsɛt) /

verb-sets, -setting or -set (tr)

to set (a timing device) so that something begins to operate at the time specified

noun

electronics a control, such as a variable resistor, that is not as accessible as the main controls and is used to set initial conditions

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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