resist or confront with resistance; "The politician defied public opinion"; "The new material withstands even the greatest wear and tear"; "The bridge held"
elude, especially in a baffling way; "This behavior defies explanation"
furnish with a preface or introduction; "She always precedes her lectures with a joke"; "He prefaced his lecture with a critical remark about the institution"
move ahead (of others) in time or space
be the predecessor of; "Bill preceded John in the long line of Susan's husbands"
come before; "Most English adjectives precede the noun they modify"
make fit for cultivation, domestic life, and service to humans; "The horse was domesticated a long time ago"; "The wolf was tamed and evolved into the house dog"
overcome the wildness of; make docile and tractable; "He tames lions for the circus"; "reclaim falcons"
adapt (a wild plant or unclaimed land) to the environment; "domesticate oats"; "tame the soil"