pretreatment

1 of 2

noun

pre·​treat·​ment ˌprē-ˈtrēt-mənt 

variants or pre-treatment

plural pretreatments or pre-treatments

: an act or instance of treating someone or something in advance : preliminary or preparatory treatment

pretreatment of stains

pretreatment of a surface for painting

… pretreatment is often required to remove oil and grease from the waste water.

—John H. Sheridan

… will allow public works crews to apply salt brine to pre-treat city streets before snow events. The pre-treatment creates an additional layer that helps to melt snow …

—Kevin Thompkins

A drug called atropine can reverse the effects if administered promptly, and pretreatment with pyridostigmine can help shield the body …

—Adam Rogers

also : a substance used for such treatment

Oils give great shine, but I also use them as a pretreatment to prevent damage prior to coloring my natural hair.

—Deena Campbell

pretreatment

2 of 2

adjective

variants or pre-treatment

1

: existing or occurring before treatment

the pretreatment period

a pretreatment condition

the patient's pretreatment drug regimen

When treatment was discontinued, the condition of treated nasal muscles quickly returned to pretreatment levels.

—Michael Vaiman et al.

2

: of, relating to, or being a pretreatment

a waste pretreatment facility/system

The current chemical pretreatment process uses relatively harsh conditions to break down the tough structure of grass and other biomass.

—Phys.org

In my weekly Ask a Clean Person columns, I talk a lot about laundry boosters and stain pretreatment products …

—Jolie Kerr

Examples of pretreatment in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The 9 Best Laundry Stain Removers, Tested and Reviewed Wash in Cold Water After applying a stain pretreatment, launder the bag in cold water using the gentle cycle. —Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Oct. 2024

It is formulated to treat a wide variety of stain types, including waxes, oils, and pigments, and can be used as a stand-in for stain pretreatment agents. —Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Oct. 2024

Various pretreatment methods, such as coating with olive oil before drying, have been investigated to retain quality and prevent losses. —Lauren O'Connor, Ms, Health, 29 Sep. 2024

That figure is said to climb to almost 100% when the plasma pretreatment is factored in. —Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 10 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1899, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1912, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

pretreatment

1 of 2 noun

pre·​treat·​ment -mənt 

: preliminary or preparatory treatment

unsuccessful … in preventing tumor growth by pretreatment with vitamin A in mice

—E. L. Felix et al.

pretreatment

2 of 2 adjective

: occurring in or typical of the period prior to treatment

a patient's pretreatment blood pressure