prae-sĕco, cŭi, ctum, or cātum, 1, v. a., to cut off before or in front, to cut off or out (not in Cic.).
I Lit.: pars cultello praesecatur, Varr. R. R. 3, 16, 34: brassica ut praesica, quod ex ejus scapo minutatim praesecatur, id. L. L. 5, § 104 Müll.: partem, Ov. R. Am. 112: projecturas tignorum, Vitr. 4, 2: lineam, Plin. 32, 2, 5, § 13: praesecta vitis, id. 17, 15, 25, § 115: praesecata gula, Ap. Met. 1, 13, 18.—
II Trop.: praesectum decies non castigavit ad unguem, has not corrected by the pared nail , i. e. to perfect accuracy , Hor. A. P. 294 Bentl. and Haupt (but the better reading is perfectum).