prior (definition) by Webster 1913

Pri"or (?), a. [L. prior former, previous, better, superior; compar. corresponding to primus first, and pro for. See Former, and cf. Prime, a., and Pre-, Pro-.]

Preceding in the order of time; former; antecedent; anterior; previous; as, a prior discovery; prior obligation; -- used elliptically in cases like the following: he lived alone [in the time] prior to his marriage.

Pri"or, n. [OE. priour, OF. priour, prior, priur, F. prieur, from L. prior former, superior. See Prior, a.] (Eccl.)

The superior of a priory, and next below an abbot in dignity.

Conventical, or Conventual, prior, a prior who is at the head of his own house. See the Note under Priory. --
Claustral prior, an official next in rank to the abbot in a monastery; prior of the cloisters.

Pri"or (?), a.

First, precedent, or superior in the order of cognition, reason or generality, origin, development, rank, etc.

a priori	griggle	Searle's Chinese room	Hugh the Great
Everyone should own a tandem	prior art	Bayesian Network	Priory
priority	Abbey of Gethsemani	Sharing an internet connection with Linux	Heinrich Kramer
prosecuting animals	just to have some human contact	The flaws in Descartes' logic	An die Musik
Claustral Prior	node-fu	Chuck D's 18 Reasons why 2Pac is alive	Angels In America
a priori probability	Pristine	Jettison	Herbarium