preponder

{ } n. [ Cf. F. prépondérance. ] 1. The quality or state of being preponderant; superiority or excess of weight, influence, or power, etc.; an outweighing. [ 1913 Webster ]

The mind should . . . reject or receive proportionably to the preponderancy of the greater grounds of probability. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

In a few weeks he had changed the relative position of all the states in Europe, and had restored the equilibrium which the preponderance of one power had destroyed. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gun.) The excess of weight of that part of a canon behind the trunnions over that in front of them. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. praeponderans, -antis: cf. F. prépondérant. See Preponderate. ] Preponderating; outweighing; overbalancing; -- used literally and figuratively; as, a preponderant weight; of preponderant importance. -- Pre*pon"der*ant*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Preponderated p. pr. & vb. n. Preponderating. ] [ L. praeponderatus, p. p. of praeponderare; prae before + ponderare to weigh, fr., pondus, ponderis, a weight. See Ponder. ] 1. To outweigh; to overpower by weight; to exceed in weight; to overbalance. [ 1913 Webster ]

An inconsiderable weight, by distance from the center of the balance, will preponderate greater magnitudes. Glanvill. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To overpower by stronger or moral power. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To cause to prefer; to incline; to decide. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The desire to spare Christian blood preponderates him for peace. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To exceed in weight; hence, to incline or descend, as the scale of a balance; figuratively, to exceed in influence, power, etc.; hence; to incline to one side; as, the affirmative side preponderated. [ 1913 Webster ]

That is no just balance in which the heaviest side will not preponderate. Bp. Wilkins. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a preponderating manner; preponderantly. [ 1913 Webster ]