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First published 1986 (DOST Vol. VI).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Precel(l, v. Also: presell. P.t. precellit, -yt; preceld. [Late ME and e.m.E. precell(e (c 1400), MF préceller, L. præcellere.]

1. tr. To be superior to; to surpass or excel.

a. Of persons. Chiefly const. in or into some quality or condition. b. Of things or qualities.a. (a) c1460 Wisd. Sol. (S.T.S.) 48.
In wyt and wysdome I precellyt al vthir princis [etc.] 1531 Bell. Boece I 39. Ib. 161. 1533 Boece 187 b.
To effect that men of grete birth suld in substance honoure and lawde precell the commouns c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus iii 115. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 961.
Arestotyll thow did precell In to phylosophie naturell 1560 Rolland Seven S. 10765. a1585 Maitl. Q. xlix 2. c1568 Lauder Minor P. i 317.
For papis precellit the kings in dignytie(b) 1530 Lynd. Test. Pap. 26.
As Phebus dois Synthia presellb. c1460 Wisd. Sol. (S.T.S.) 100.
Wisdum precellis foly als far as [etc.] a1500 Henr. Test. Cress. 446.
My plesand port, all vtheris precelling 1501 Doug. Pal. Hon. 450. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i 114.
[One jewel] precellit the laif fer in degre c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5021.
Kyng Salamone, … His plesand habitationis Precellit all vtheris nationis 1552–3 Knox III 348.

2. intr. a. To be superior, b. To be excellent, to excel (abone etc. others, in a quality).a. 1456 Hay II 22/2.
Be the quhilk office thai [kings] precell abone all othir officis of temporalitee, as dukis [etc.]b. 1535 Stewart 21722.
That all Romanis … In worthines precellit than richt far c1550 Lynd. Meldrum 1576.
Abone all vther he did precell c1552 Id. Mon. 792.
Adam preceld in pulchritude Ib. 2989.
Quhow that the Ynde Orientell Preceld in gret commoditeis Ib. 2764. a1568 Bann. MS. 238 a/24. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 5746.
Sa wise ane sone nane of thame sall consaue, Sa verteous, in wit dois mair precell

3. To be pre-eminent or supreme. c1550 Lynd. Test. Meldrum 30.
Thocht age hes maid my bodie impotent, Ȝit in my hart hie courage doeth precell a1568 Weddirburne Bann. MS. 288 b/113.
The noble giftis of chestitie precell c1590 J. Stewart 36/226.