Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
noun
A figure of speech used to secure indulgence or conciliate an audience before saying something potentially shocking, offensive, or difficult to accept.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rhetoric, uncountable
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
From Ancient Greek προθεραπεία (protherapeía, “previous care or treatment”), from πρό (pró, “before”) + θεραπεία (therapeía, “service, medical attendance”).
