| Pretorium | ‖n. [ L. praetorium, fr. praetor. ] 1. The general's tent in a Roman camp; hence, a council of war, because held in the general's tent. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. The official residence of a governor of a province; hence, a place; a splendid country seat. [ 1913 Webster ] |
| Pretorian | a. [ L. praetorians: cf. F. prétorien. ] Of or pertaining to a pretor or magistrate; judicial; exercised by, or belonging to, a pretor; as, pretorian power or authority. [ 1913 Webster ]
Pretorian bands or
Pretorian guards, or
Pretorians (Rom. Hist.), the emperor's bodyguards, instituted by the Emperor Augustus in nine cohorts of 1, 000 men each. --
Pretorian gate (Rom. Antiq.), that one of the four gates in a camp which lay next the enemy. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]
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