Pretreats

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Subjects something to an initial process or chemical step before its main treatment begins
2. Applies a preparatory treatment to material so it is ready for later processing
3. Gives an advance treatment to a surface, substance or patient ahead of the principal procedure

Etymology: "Pretreats" is the third-person singular present form of "pretreat," a verb meaning to subject something to a process before its main treatment. The base word is built from the prefix "pre-," meaning "before," attached to "treat," which came into English from Old French "traiter," ultimately from Latin "tractare," to handle or manage. The prefix itself comes from Latin "prae," meaning "before" or "in front of," which is also the source of many English words like "predict" and "preface." The construction is entirely transparent: "pre-" plus "treat" gives a sense of treating something ahead of a later stage. Its use is largely technical, most often in chemistry, manufacturing, and medicine, where materials or patients are given an initial step that prepares them for the main procedure.

Synonyms: prepare, condition, prime