preposition

英 [,prepə'zɪʃ(ə)n] 美[,prɛpə'zɪʃən]

• n. 介词；前置词

1. a function word that combines with a noun or pronoun or noun phrase to form a prepositional phrase that can have an adverbial or adjectival relation to some other word

2. (linguistics) the placing of one linguistic element before another (as placing a modifier before the word it modifies in a sentence or placing an affix before the base to which it is attached)