presidingadj.

1653 J. Brayne Astrologie 10 Every Planet, say they, hath his presiding Angel, and Legions of assistants imployd by him.

1667 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 2 534 In divers Bodies, that which is call'd or look'd upon as the Specifick Form is often not so much as the Presiding, but only the most eminent.

1707 J. Norris Pract. Treat. Humility vi. 245 Not the condescending, but the governing and presiding part.

1779 H. Cowley Albina iii. 33 My fate is busy; and presiding spirits Now weave the hist'ry of my future life.

1839 T. De Quincey Lake Reminiscences in Tait's Edinb. Mag. July 455/2 Awful solitude..the natural and presiding sentiment—the religio loci—that broods for ever over the romantic pass.

1878 R. B. Smith Carthage 212 It is difficult..to withdraw the attention even for a moment from its presiding genius.

1925 J. M. Murry Keats & Shakespeare iv. 37 The picture of Shakespeare, which his landlady so significantly had given him, becomes the portrait of a presiding genius smiling encouragement upon his desperate endeavour.

1993 Beaver Feb. 27/1 James F. Macleod, the former commissioner of the NWMP, was the presiding magistrate.

1704 tr. J. Scheffer Hist. Lapland xi. 135 129. the Chamber, where the Judges sit to give..[judge]ment, 130. the Presiding Judge.

1802 Deb. Congr. U.S. 19 Jan. (1851) 117 The constant change of presiding judges..hung up the business.

1874 ‘H. Churton’ Toinette xxiii. 245 Geoffrey's counsel called the attention of His Honor, the Presiding Judge of the Court, to the fact.

1993 Coloradoan (Fort Collins) 5 Dec. e2/3 The presiding judge who impaneled the grand jury..contributed to the Senate campaign.

1691 P. King Enq. into Constit., Discipline, Unity & Worship Primitive Church vii. 122 The formal Declaration of the Sentence of the Court, which was pronounced..by one of the presiding Elders, that is, either by the Bishop or a Presbyter Commission'd by him.]

1789 Form Discipline Methodist Episcopal Church Amer. (ed. 5) xxxiii. 46 But it is to be observed that a Preacher shall be tried by a Deacon, a Deacon by an Elder, an Elder by a presiding Elder, and a presiding Elder by the presiding Elder of a neighbouring district.

1844 I. D. Rupp He Pasa Ekklesia 447 A presiding elder, though no higher as to order than an elder, has charge of several circuits and stations, called collectively a district.

1961 W. E. B. Du Bois Worlds of Color ix. 137 He emphasized to the Presiding Elder the plan of giving up the old church and moving across the river.

2004 Santa Fe (New Mexico) New Mexican (Nexis) 14 Oct. a7 Salazar was appointed presiding elder of the Santa Fe district.

1717 N. Marshall in Wks St. Cyprian 138 Our author..when he is guarding here against confused and indecent noise..refers to that time of private prayer in the publick congregation, when each was to pray for himself, whilst the presiding officer prayed in private for the whole.]

1745 Life Bampfylde-Moore Carew vii. 86 By this Means no presiding Officer has it in his Power to make one more than two, which sometimes happens in the Elections amongst other Communities.

1872 Act 35 & 36 Vict. c. 33 sched. i. §21 The returning officer shall appoint a presiding officer to preside at each station.

1978 D. Devine Sunk without Trace xviii. 170 Voting papers, to be valid, must have the official stamp embossed on them by the Presiding Officer at the time of issue to the individual voter.

2001 Sunday Herald (Glasgow) 20 May 22/1 Wur peedie parliament's Presiding Officer, former heid wallah of the Liberals.