preterit

Adjective, Noun

pret=er=it

WORDNET DICTIONARY

preterit(n = noun.linkdef) preterite - a term formerly used to refer to the simple past tense; Array

is a kind of past, past tense

preterit, a. [L. praeteritus, p. p. of praeterire to go or pass by; praeter beyond, by + ire to go: cf. F. prétérit. See Issue.].

Past; -- applied to a tense which expresses an action or state as past. [1913 Webster]
Belonging wholly to the past; passed by. [1913 Webster]
"Things and persons as thoroughly preterite as Romulus or Numa." [1913 Webster]

preterit, n.

The preterit; also, a word in the preterit tense. [1913 Webster]

For further exploring for "preterit" in Webster Dictionary Online