Pre*morse" (?), a. [L. praemorsus, p. p. of praemordere to bite off; prae before + mordere to bite.]
Terminated abruptly, or as if bitten off.
Premorse root ∨ leaves Bot., such as have an abrupt, ragged, and irregular termination, as if bitten off short.
© Webster 1913.
[Editor's note, 1/25/2003: Corrected error from original scan: "as it"->"as if"]