pre·treat·ment
ˌprē-ˈtrēt-mənt 
variants
or pre-treatment
plural pretreatments or pre-treatments
: an act or instance of treating someone or something in advance : preliminary or preparatory treatment
pretreatment of stains
pretreatment of a surface for painting
… pretreatment is often required to remove oil and grease from the waste water.—
John H. Sheridan
John H. Sheridan… will allow public works crews to apply salt brine to pre-treat city streets before snow events. The pre-treatment creates an additional layer that helps to melt snow …—Kevin Thompkins
Kevin ThompkinsA drug called atropine can reverse the effects if administered promptly, and pretreatment with pyridostigmine can help shield the body …—Adam Rogers
Adam Rogers
also
: a substance used for such treatment
Oils give great shine, but I also use them as a pretreatment to prevent damage prior to coloring my natural hair. —Deena Campbell
Deena Campbell
variants
or pre-treatment
1
: existing or occurring before treatment
the pretreatment period
a pretreatment condition
the patient's pretreatment drug regimen
When treatment was discontinued, the condition of treated nasal muscles quickly returned to pretreatment levels.—Michael Vaiman et al.
Michael Vaiman et al.2
: of, relating to, or being a pretreatment
a waste pretreatment facility/system
The current chemical pretreatment process uses relatively harsh conditions to break down the tough structure of grass and other biomass.—Phys.org
Phys.orgIn my weekly Ask a Clean Person columns, I talk a lot about laundry boosters and stain pretreatment products …—Jolie Kerr
Jolie KerrExamples of pretreatment in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dan Kelly, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
This solution is then sprayed on the roads as a pretreatment for icy roads.
—Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 3 Jan. 2025
The National Association of Clean Water Agencies, which represents wastewater treatment plants, said more than 1,600 utilities already had pretreatment programs in place, though not necessarily for PFAS.
—Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
The Air Force pointed to a $25 million federal grant from the state to build a new PFAS pretreatment plant for the TARP.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 11 Dec. 2024
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Noun
Emerging technologies are capable of treating leachate more efficiently, reducing the need for energy-intensive pretreatment processes.
—Dan Kelly, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
This solution is then sprayed on the roads as a pretreatment for icy roads.
—Markis Hill, Kansas City Star, 3 Jan. 2025
The National Association of Clean Water Agencies, which represents wastewater treatment plants, said more than 1,600 utilities already had pretreatment programs in place, though not necessarily for PFAS.
—Hiroko Tabuchi, New York Times, 27 Dec. 2024
The Air Force pointed to a $25 million federal grant from the state to build a new PFAS pretreatment plant for the TARP.
—Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 11 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pretreatment
Dictionary Entries Near pretreatment
Cite this Entry
“Pretreatment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretreatment. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
pretreatment
1 of 2 noun
pre·treat·ment
-mənt
: preliminary or preparatory treatment
unsuccessful … in preventing tumor growth by pretreatment with vitamin A in mice—E. L. Felix et al.
E. L. Felix et al.pretreatment
2 of 2 adjective
: occurring in or typical of the period prior to treatment
a patient's pretreatment blood pressure
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