[ noun ] a term formerly used to refer to the simple past tense <noun.linkdef>
Preterit \Pret"er*it\ (?; 277), a. [L. praeteritus, p. p. of praeterire to go or pass by; praeter beyond, by + ire to go: cf. F. pr['e]t['e]rit. See {Issue}.] [Written also {preterite} and {pr[ae]terite}.] 1. (Gram.) Past; -- applied to a tense which expresses an action or state as past.
2. Belonging wholly to the past; passed by. [R.]
Things and persons as thoroughly preterite as Romulus or Numa. --Lowell.
Preterit \Pret"er*it\, n. (Gram.) The preterit; also, a word in the preterit tense.
Preterperfect \Pre`ter*per"fect\, a. & n. [Pref. preter- + perfect.] (Gram.) Old name of the tense also called {preterit}.