A.hold before, “τὴν ἀσπίδα τῆς κωλῆς” Ar.Nu. 989; esp. so as to protect another, “τὼ χεῖρε π.” X.Cyr.2.3.10:—Med., hold before oneself, “προὔχοντο ἑκάστοθι ἐννέα ταύρους” Od.3.8; hold out before one, “πρὸ δούρατ᾽ ἔχοντο” Il.17.355, cf. Hdt.2.42; προὐσχόμην σε held you out as a child (to do your needs), Ar.Nu.1385.
2. metaph. in Med., put forward as a pretext, “τάδ᾽ ἂν προὔχοιο” S.Ant.80; ὅπερ μάλιστα προὔχονται εἰ καθαιρεθείη, μὴ ἂν γίγνεσθαι τὸν πόλεμον the cancellation of which is the chief consideration in return for which they pretend that war would not occur, Th.1.140.
II. to be possessed or informed of a thing beforehand, “π. τῶν Ἀθηναίων οὐ φιλίας γνώμας” Hdt.9.4, cf. D.S.31.27, D.C. 43.3.
2. have before, ἃ προεῖχεν μισθῷ ὁ . . Πτολεμαῖος had hitherto on lease, BGU889.9 (ii A.D.), cf. Sammelb.5672.5 (ii A.D.), etc.; εἰς τοῦτο ὑπολόγησον ὃ προέχουσι what they have already received, PPetr.2p.32(iii B.C.): abs., ὁ προέχων the first recipient, Arist.EN 1164b9.
B. intr., jut out, project, in Hom. in a local sense, of headlands, towers, hills, “ὅθ᾽ ἀκρότατος πρόεχ᾽ ἀκτή” Od.12.11, cf. 10.90; “ἐπ᾽ ἠϊόνας προὐχούσας” 6.138; “πύργῳ ἐπὶ προὔχοντι” Il.22.97; “ἐπὶ προὔχοντι μελάθρῳ” Od.19.544; “ἀκτὴ προέχουσα ἐς τὸν πόντον” Hdt.4.177, cf. Th. 4.109,6.97; “τὸ προὔχον τῆς ἐμβολῆς” Id.2.76: generally, project, c. gen., “προέχουσα κάρης εὐρεῖα καλύπτρη” Call.Fr.125.
II. in running, to be the first, have the start, Il.23.325: c. gen., ἡμέρης ὁδῷ π. τῶν Περσέων keep ahead of them by a day's march, Hdt.4.120; προέχων τῶν ἄλλων [ὁ ἵππος] getting before the rest, Id.9.22; τῇ κεφαλῇ π. beat by a head, in racing, X.Cyr.4.3.16: of Time, προεῖχε [ἡ τριήρης] ἡμέρᾳ καὶ νυκτί started first by . . , Th.3.49; “π. εἴκοσιν ἔτεσιν” Pl.Lg.879c: metaph., have the advantage of, “τινὸς τῷ διπλασίῳ” Antipho3.3.2.
2. of rank, c. gen., δήμου προὔχουσιν they are the first or chief of the people, h.Cer.151; τοῦ Δωρικοῦ, τοῦ Ἰωνικοῦ [γένεος], Hdt.1.56: abs., to be superior, Th.1.39, 3.82; “ἀνθρωπεία φύσις πολεμία τοῦ προὔχοντος” to all that is eminent, Id.3.84; οἱ προὔχοντες the chief men, Id.5.17; οἱ π. [βίοι] the principal kinds of lives, Arist.EN1095b18.
3. surpass, excel, Th.7.66: freq. c. gen., τὸ Ἄργος π. ἅπασι τῶν ἐν τῇ . . χώρῃ in all things, Hdt.1.1, cf. 32; “τέχνα γὰρ τέχνας ἑτέρας προὔχει” S.Ph.138(lyr.); “πολὺ προὔχουσα θεάων” Call.Del.218; “π. αὐτέων τοσοῦτον ὅσον . .” Hdt.2.136; “πολλῷ π.” Id.3.82; π. δυνάμει, πλήθει καὶ ἐμπειρίᾳ, Th.1.18, 121; “τοσοῦτον ἐκείνων μεγέθει π.” Luc.Musc.Enc.1: also π. τινὸς τιμήν to be preferred to him in honour, S.Ant.208; “π. ἔν τινος λαμπρότητι” Th.6.16; “μικρὸν π. ἐν τοῖς μεγάλοις μᾶλλον ἢ πολὺ διαφέρειν ἐν τοῖς μικροῖς” Isoc.10.5; “κατά τι” Luc.Am.30.
