The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Preterit \Pret"er*it\ (?; 277), a. [L. praeteritus, p. p. of
   praeterire to go or pass by; praeter beyond, by + ire to go:
   cf. F. pr['e]t['e]rit. See Issue.] [Written also
   preterite and pr[ae]terite.]
   1. (Gram.) Past; -- applied to a tense which expresses an
      action or state as past.
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   2. Belonging wholly to the past; passed by. [R.]
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            Things and persons as thoroughly preterite as
            Romulus or Numa.                      --Lowell.
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