presa

See also: preša and présa

English

Etymology 1

Italian presa (“capture, seizure”).

Noun

presa (plural presas)

1. (music) A symbol, such as ※ or :S:, used to indicate where a voice is to begin singing in a canon or round.

Etymology 2

Spanish presa (“dam”), related to the above.

Noun

presa (plural presas)

1. (Southwestern US) A temporary dam, dyke or reservoir.
   • 1970, William T. Sanders, The Teotihuacan Valley project final report, pages 285-286:

     They are equalled in their productive capacity only by the highest terraces on the slopes of Cerro Gordo in the same region, and their production approaches that of the irrigated lands in the Lower Valley. The significance of the presas for agriculture stems from the humidity retention capacity they possess and their ideal location for trapping both soil [...] and water. [...] it is very rare that a crop is lost in the presas [...] Maize is planted as early as February in some presas. Special planting techniques are also applied to the presas to make available subsoil moisture.

   • 1999, Catholic Southwest, volumes 10-14, page 109:

     Tijerina also provides descriptions of the presas or clay reservoirs that provided water for all living creatures, and [...]

Anagrams

• Asper, Earps, Pears, Peras, RESPA, Rapes, Spear, Spera, apers, apres, après, aprés, as per, asper, pares, parse, pears, prase, præs., rapes, reaps, sarpe, spare, spear

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Catalan

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /ˈpɾɛ.zə/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /ˈpɾɛ.za/

Noun

presa f (plural preses)

1. dam, barrage
2. prey

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the main entry.

Verb

presa f sg

1. past participle of prendre

Further reading

• “presa” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “presa” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “presa” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “presa” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

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Cebuano

Etymology

From Spanish fresa, from French fraise, from earlier fraige, from Latin frāga, plural of frāgum.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: pre‧sa

Noun

presa

1. Any member of the genus Fragaria.
2. The fruit of this plant; strawberry.

Synonyms

• estroberi

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Galician

Etymology

Feminine of preso (“imprisoned; captured; bound; prisoner”), from Latin prehensus (“seized”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɾesa̝/

Noun

presa f (plural presas)

1. a handful
   • 1390, José Luis Pensado Tomé (ed.), Os Miragres de Santiago. Versión gallega del Códice latino del siglo XII atribuido al papa Calisto I. Madrid: C.S.I.C., page 1:

     vn rromeu alamã cõ outros de sua cõpana tomou hũa grã presa de dineiros de prata et ofereçeos sobre la cousela da cabeça de Santiago

     a pilgrim from Germany, with others from his group, took a large handful of silver coins and offered them over the receptacle of the head of [the statue representing] Saint James

   Synonyms: manchea, manda

2. dam

   Synonyms: encoro, represa

   1. canal
      • 1382, M. Mar Graña Cid (ed.), Las órdenes mendicantes en el obispado de Mondoñedo. El convento de san Martín de Villaoriente (1374-1500). Ferrol: Estudios Mindonienses, page 181:

        et doutra parte departese porla agoa que vay porla presa do moyno de Veyga

        and in the other side it limits by the water that runs by the canal of the mill of Veiga

   2. reservoir
3. catch (something which is captured or caught)

   Synonym: botín

4. prey

   Synonym: prea

5. female equivalent of preso (“female prisoner”)

Related terms

• prender
• preso

Adjective

presa f (masculine preso, feminine plural presas, masculine plural presos)

1. captive

References

• “presa” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006-2012.
• “presa” in Xavier Varela Barreiro & Xavier Gómez Guinovart: Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval. SLI / Grupo TALG / ILG, 2006-2016.
• “presa” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006-2013.
• “presa” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
• “presa” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.

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Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpre.za/
• Rhymes: -eza

Adjective

presa

1. feminine singular of preso

Noun

presa f (plural prese)

1. (sports, wrestling) grip, hold, grasp, grip
2. capture
3. pinch (small quantity)
4. socket (electrical socket)

Verb

presa

1. feminine singular of the past participle of prendere
2. past participle of prendersela

Anagrams

• aspre, parse, persa, saper, spare, spera

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Portuguese

Etymology

Feminine of preso (“imprisoned; captured; bound; prisoner”), from Old Portuguese preso, from Latin prehensus (“seized”), perfect passive participle of prehendō (“I seize; I catch”).

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈpɾe.za/, /ˈpɾe.zɐ/
• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈpɾe.zɐ/
• Hyphenation: pre‧sa

Noun

presa f (plural presas)

1. prey (that which may be seized by animals)
2. prey (animal that is eaten by another living being)

   Synonym: caça

   Antonym: predador

3. fang (long pointed tooth)

   Synonym: canino

4. female equivalent of preso (“female prisoner”)
5. (climbing) climbing hold, handhold

Derived terms

• presa fácil

Adjective

presa f sg

1. feminine singular of preso

Related terms

• apreensão
• prender
• preso

 

Verb

presa

1. feminine singular past participle of prender

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Spanish

Etymology

From Latin prensa

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɾesa/
• Hyphenation: pre‧sa

Adjective

presa

1. feminine singular of preso

Noun

presa f (plural presas)

1. reservoir, dam
2. piece of meat
3. portion or piece of food
4. female equivalent of preso, female prisoner
5. capture
6. prey
7. stolen good
8. sluice (artificial passage of water)
9. weir

Derived terms

• perro de presa
• presa de hielo
• presa fácil (“pushover, easy prey, easy pickings”)

Related terms

• preso
• prender

Further reading

• “presa” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.