Pre"cept (?), n. [L. praeceptum,
from praecipere to take beforehand, to instruct, teach;
prae before + capere to take: cf. F.
précepte. See Pre-, and Capacious.]
1. Any commandment, instruction, or order
intended as an authoritative rule of action; esp., a command
respecting moral conduct; an injunction; a rule.
For precept must be upon
precept.
Isa. xxviii. 10.
No arts are without their precepts.
Dryden.
2. (Law) A command in writing; a
species of writ or process. Burrill.
Syn. -- Commandment; injunction; mandate; law; rule;
direction; principle; maxim. See Doctrine.
Pre"cept, v. t. To teach by
precepts. [Obs.] Bacon.