n. 过去时态

[ noun ]
a term formerly used to refer to the simple past tense
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Preterite \Pret"er*ite\, a. & n.
Same as {Preterit}.

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.