Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Present \Pres"ent\, a. [F. pr['e]sent, L. praesens,-entis, that
   is before one, in sight or at hand, p. p. of praeesse to be
   before; prae before + esse to be. See {Essence}.]
   1. Being at hand, within reach or call, within certain
      contemplated limits; -- opposed to absent.

            These things have I spoken unto you, being yet
            present with you.                     --John xiv.
                                                  25.

   2. Now existing, or in process; begun but not ended; now in
      view, or under consideration; being at this time; not past
      or future; as, the present session of Congress; the
      present state of affairs; the present instance.

            I'll bring thee to the present business --Shak.

   3. Not delayed; immediate; instant; coincident. ``A present
      recompense.'' ``A present pardon.'' --Shak.

            An ambassador . . . desires a present audience.
                                                  --Massinger.

   4. Ready; quick in emergency; as a present wit. [R.]

   5. Favorably attentive; propitious. [Archaic]

            To find a god so present to my prayer. --Dryden.

   {Present tense} (Gram.), the tense or form of a verb which
      expresses action or being in the present time; as, I am
      writing, I write, or I do write.

Present \Pres"ent\, n. [Cf. F. pr['e]sent. See {Present}, a.]
   1. Present time; the time being; time in progress now, or at
      the moment contemplated; as, at this present.

            Past and present, wound in one.       --Tennyson.

   2. pl. (Law) Present letters or instrument, as a deed of
      conveyance, a lease, letter of attorney, or other writing;
      as in the phrase, `` Know all men by these presents,''
      that is, by the writing itself, `` per has literas
      praesentes; '' -- in this sense, rarely used in the
      singular.

   3. (Gram.) A present tense, or the form of the verb denoting
      the present tense.

   {At present}, at the present time; now.

   {For the present}, for the tine being; temporarily.

   {In present}, at once, without delay. [Obs.] ``With them, in
      present, half his kingdom; the rest to follow at his
      death.'' --Milton.

Present \Pre*sent"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Presented}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Presenting}.] [F. pr['e]senter, L. praesentare, fr.
   praesens, a. See {Present}, a.]
   1. To bring or introduce into the presence of some one,
      especially of a superior; to introduce formally; to offer
      for acquaintance; as, to present an envoy to the king;
      (with the reciprocal pronoun) to come into the presence of
      a superior.

            Now there was a day when the sons of God came to
            present themselves before the lord.   --Job i. 6

   2. To exhibit or offer to view or notice; to lay before one's
      perception or cognizance; to set forth; to present a fine
      appearance.

            Lectorides's memory is ever . . . presenting him
            with the thoughts of other persons.   --I. Watts.

   3. To pass over, esp. in a ceremonious manner; to give in
      charge or possession; to deliver; to make over.

            So ladies in romance assist their knight, Present
            the spear, and arm him for the fight. --Pope.

   4. To make a gift of; to bestow; to give, generally in a
      formal or ceremonious manner; to grant; to confer.

            My last, least offering, I present thee now.
                                                  --Cowper.

   5. Hence: To endow; to bestow a gift upon; to favor, as with
      a donation; also, to court by gifts.

            Octavia presented the poet for him admirable elegy
            on her son Marcellus.                 --Dryden.

   6. To present; to personate. [Obs.] --Shak.

   7. In specific uses;
      (a) To nominate to an ecclesiastical benefice; to offer to
          the bishop or ordinary as a candidate for institution.

                The patron of a church may present his clerk to
                a parsonage or vicarage; that is, may offer him
                to the bishop of the diocese to be instituted.
                                                  --Blackstone.
      (b) To nominate for support at a public school or other
          institution . --Lamb.
      (c) To lay before a public body, or an official, for
          consideration, as before a legislature, a court of
          judicature, a corporation, etc.; as, to present a
          memorial, petition, remonstrance, or indictment.
      (d) To lay before a court as an object of inquiry; to give
          notice officially of, as a crime of offence; to find
          or represent judicially; as, a grand jury present
          certain offenses or nuisances, or whatever they think
          to be public injuries.
      (e) To bring an indictment against . [U.S]
      (f) To aim, point, or direct, as a weapon; as, to present
          a pistol or the point of a sword to the breast of
          another.

   {Pesent arms} (Mil.), the command in response to which the
      gun is carried perpendicularly in front of the center of
      the body, and held there with the left hand grasping it at
      the lower band, and the right hand grasping the small of
      the stock, in token of respect, as in saluting a superior
      officer; also, the position taken at such a command.

Present \Pre*sent"\, v. i. (Med.)
   To appear at the mouth of the uterus so as to be perceptible
   to the finger in vaginal examination; -- said of a part of an
   infant during labor.

Present \Pres"ent\, n. [F. pr['e]sent .]
   Anything presented or given; a gift; a donative; as, a
   Christmas present.

   Syn: Gift; donation; donative; benefaction. See {Gift}.

Present \Pre*sent"\, n. (Mil.)
   The position of a soldier in presenting arms; as, to stand at
   present.

Source : WordNet®

present
     adj 1: temporal sense; intermediate between past and future; now
            existing or happening or in consideration; "the
            present leader"; "articles for present use"; "the
            present topic"; "the present system"; "present
            observations" [syn: {present(a)}] [ant: {future}, {past}]
     2: spatial sense; being or existing in a specified place; "the
        murderer is present in this room"; "present at the
        wedding"; "present at the creation" [ant: {absent}]

present
     v 1: show or demonstrate something to an interested audience;
          "She shows her dogs frequently"; "We will demo the new
          software in Washington" [syn: {show}, {demo}, {exhibit},
           {demonstrate}]
     2: bring forward and present to the mind; "We presented the
        arguments to him"; "We cannot represent this knowledge to
        our formal reason" [syn: {represent}, {lay out}]
     3: perform (a play), especially on a stage; "we are going to
        stage `Othello'" [syn: {stage}, {represent}]
     4: hand over formally [syn: {submit}]
     5: introduce; "This poses an interesting question" [syn: {pose}]
     6: give, especially as a reward; "bestow honors and prizes at
        graduation" [syn: {award}]
     7: give as a present; make a gift of; "What will you give her
        for her birthday?" [syn: {give}, {gift}]
     8: deliver (a speech, oration, or idea); "The commencement
        speaker presented a forceful speech that impressed the
        students" [syn: {deliver}]
     9: cause to come to know personally; "permit me to acquaint you
        with my son"; "introduce the new neighbors to the
        community" [syn: {introduce}, {acquaint}]
     10: represent in a painting, drawing, sculpture, or verbally;
         "The father is portrayed as a good-looking man in this
         painting" [syn: {portray}]
     11: present somebody with something, usually to accuse or
         criticize; "We confronted him with the evidence"; "He was
         faced with all the evidence and could no longer deny his
         actions"; "An enormous dilemma faces us" [syn: {confront},
          {face}]
     12: formally present a debutante, a representative of a country,
         etc.
     13: recognize with a gesture prescribed by a miltary regulation;
         assume a prescribed position; "When the officers show up,
         the soldiers have to salute" [syn: {salute}]

present
     n 1: the period of time that is happening now; any continuous
          stretch of time including the moment of speech; "that is
          enough for the present"; "he lives in the present with
          no thought of tomorrow" [syn: {nowadays}]
     2: something presented as a gift; "his tie was a present from
        his wife"
     3: a verb tense that expresses actions or states at the time of
        speaking [syn: {present tense}]