precinct

views updated May 29 2018

pre·cinct / ˈprēˌsingkt/ • n. 1. a district of a city or town as defined for police purposes. ∎  the police station situated in such a subdivision: at the precinct, a desk sergeant ran through her ID. ∎  an electoral district of a city or town served by a single polling place: with 35 percent of the precincts declaring, he had 51 percent of the vote.2. (usu. precincts) the area within the walls or perceived boundaries of a particular building or place: all strata of society live within these precincts | fig. beyond the precincts of my own family, I am quite inhibited. ∎  an enclosed or clearly defined area of ground around a cathedral, church, or college.3. Brit. an area in a town designated for specific or restricted use, esp. one that is closed to traffic: a pedestrian precinct.

precinct

views updated May 18 2018

precinct space enclosed by boundaries; district or province of government. XV. — medL. præcinctum, also pl. præcincta, sb. uses of n. pp. of L. præcingere gird about, encircle, f. præ PRE- + cingere gird.

Precinct

views updated May 17 2018

PRECINCT

A constable's or police district. A small geographical unit of government. An election district created for convenient localization of polling places. A county or municipal subdivision for casting and counting votes in elections.