Lewis & Short

prae-ĕo (sometimes written in inscrr. with one e, PRAERAT, etc.), īvi and ĭi, ĭtum, īre, v. n. and a., to go before, lead the way, precede (syn.: praegredior, antecedo).

  1. I. Lit.
          1. (α) Neutr.: ut consulibus lictores praeirent, Cic. Rep. 2, 31, 55: domino praeire, Stat. Th. 6, 519: Laevinus Romam praeivit, Liv. 26, 27 fin.: praetor dictus, qui praeiret jure et exercitu, Varr. L. L. 5, § 80 Müll.; cf.: in re militari praetor dictus, qui praeiret exercitui, id. ib. 5, 16, § 87 ib.: praeeunte carinā, Verg. A. 5, 186; Ov. F. 1, 81.
          2. (β) Act.: per avia ac derupta praeibat eum, Tac. A. 6, 21: ludos Circenses eburna effigies (Germanici) praeiret, id. ib. 2, 83.
  2. II. Trop.
    1. A. In gen., to go before, precede (rare but class.).
          1. (α) Neutr.: naturā praeeunte, Cic. Fin. 5, 21, 58.
          2. (β) Act.: acto raptim agmine, ut famam sui praeiret, to outstrip, Tac. A. 15, 4.
    2. B. In partic., a relig. and publicist’s t. t., to precede one in reciting a formula (as of prayer, consecration, an oath, etc.), i. e. to repeat first, to dictate any thing (the predom. signif. of the word); constr. most freq. with aliquid (alicui), and less freq. with verbis, voce, or absol.
          1. (α) Aliquid (alicui): praei verba, quibus me pro legionibus devoveam, Liv. 8, 9, 4: aedem Concordiae dedicavit, coactusque pontifex maximus verba praeire, to dictate the formula of consecration, id. 9, 46, 6; cf. id. 4, 21, 5; 5, 41, 3; 10, 28, 14: praeeuntibus exsecrabile carmen sacerdotibus, id. 31, 17: sacramentum, Tac. H. 1, 36; 2, 74: obsecrationem, Suet. Claud. 22: cum scriba ex publicis tabulis sollemne ei praecationis carmen praeiret, Val. Max. 4, 1, 10.
          2. (β) Praeire verbis: praei verbis quid vis, Plaut. Rud. 5, 2, 48.
          3. (γ) Absol., with dat. of the person: praeivimus commilitonibus jusjurandum more sollemni praestantibus, Plin. Ep. 10,52 (60): de scripto praeire, to read before, Plin. 28, 2, 3, § 12: ades, Luculle, Servili, dum dedico domum Ciceronis, ut mihi praeeatis, Cic. Dom. 52, 133.
      1. 2. Transf., apart from technical lang., to recite, read, sing, or play before one (rare but class.): ut vobis voce praeirent, quid judicaretis, Cic. Mil. 2, 3: si legentibus singulis praeire semper ipsi velint, wish to read before, Quint. 2, 5, 3; 1, 2, 12; and: praeeunte aliquā jucundā voce, id. 1, 10, 16: tibiam Caio Graccho cum populo agenti praeisse ac praemonstrasse modulos ferunt, Gell. 1, 11, 10.
        1. b. In partic., to lead the way, by orders, directions, precepts: omnia, uti decemviri praeierunt, facta, Liv. 43, 13 fin. (cf. praefor): si de omni quoque officio judicis praeire tibi me vis, Gell. 14, 2, 12.
          Hence, praeiens, Part., going before; as subst.: praeiens, euntis, m., he who precedes another, as a precentor or leader: lectio non omnis nec semper praeeunte eget, Quint. 1, 2, 12.