attrib.
- existing or coming before in time, order, or importance（时间, 顺序, 重要性）在先的, 在前的; 居先的; 先前的：
he has a prior engagement this evening.
他今晚已有约会在先。
- N. Amer. informal a previous criminal conviction〈北美, 非正式〉犯罪前科：
he had no juvenile record, no priors.
他没有少年犯罪记录, 没有前科。
短语
prior to
- before a particular time or event在…以前; 先于; 优先于：
she visited me on the day prior to her death.
她去世的前一天还来看我。
词源
early 18th cent.: from Latin， literally 'former， elder'， related to prae 'before'.
1
- the male head of a house or group of houses of certain religious orders, in particular（某些宗教教会的）男主持, 尤指：
1.1
- the man next in rank below an abbot男修道院副院长; 男副主持。
1.2
- the head of a house of friars托钵会会长。
派生词
priorate
nounpriorship
noun词源
late Old English， from a medieval Latin noun use of Latin prior 'elder， former' （see PRIOR1）.