"pretrain" meaning in English

See pretrain in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Forms: pretrains [present, singular, third-person], pretraining [participle, present], pretrained [participle, past], pretrained [past], pre-train [alternative]
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per- Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-i Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i? Proto-Italic *prai Proto-Italic *prai- Latin prae-lbor. Middle English pre- English pre- English trainder. English pretrain From pre- + train. Etymology templates: {{etymon|en|:af|pre-|:der|train|tree=1}} Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *per- Proto-Indo-European *preh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-i Proto-Indo-European *préh₂i? Proto-Italic *prai Proto-Italic *prai- Latin prae-lbor. Middle English pre- English pre- English trainder. English pretrain [Appendix:Glossary#learned_borrowing|Learned borrowing]] from", "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "before", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "alt" : "*préh₂i", "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "status" : "inline", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "before", "children" : [ ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*per-", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "keyword" : "from" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*preh₂-", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ine-pro" }, { "children" : [ ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*-i", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "is_uncertain" : true, "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Italic", "term" : "*prai", "lang" : "itc-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "keyword" : "from" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Italic", "term" : "*prai-", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "itc-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Latin", "term" : "prae-", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "la" } ], "keyword" : "lbor" } ], "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "pre-", "status" : "inline", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "pre-", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" }, { "keyword_abbrev" : "der.", "keyword_label" : "Derived from", "terms" : [ { "children" : [ ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "train", "status" : "ambiguous", "lang" : "en" } ], "keyword" : "derived" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "pretrain", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }" data-lang="en" data-title="pretrain">, {{prefix|en|pre|train}} pre- + train Head templates: {{en-verb}} pretrain (third-person singular simple present pretrains, present participle pretraining, simple past and past participle pretrained)
  1. To train before testing or further training.
    Sense id: en-pretrain-en-verb-4-vGp7at
  2. (machine learning) To train (a neural network) on a large corpus or other dataset to acquire a base of general-purpose knowledge, representations, or capabilities that can subsequently be adapted, specialized, or aligned through further training.
    Sense id: en-pretrain-en-verb-Jqb33qnV Categories (other): Machine learning, English entries referencing ambiguous etymons, English entries with etymology trees, English entries with etymon, English entries with incorrect language header, English terms prefixed with pre-, Pages using etymon with no ID, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Pages with etymology trees, Pages with etymon Disambiguation of English entries referencing ambiguous etymons: 28 72 Disambiguation of English entries with etymology trees: 28 72 Disambiguation of English entries with etymon: 28 72 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 23 77 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with pre-: 38 62 Disambiguation of Pages using etymon with no ID: 24 76 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 16 84 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 13 87 Disambiguation of Pages with etymology trees: 20 80 Disambiguation of Pages with etymon: 18 82

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "pre-",
        "4": ":der",
        "5": "train",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *per-\nProto-Indo-European *preh₂-\nProto-Indo-European *-i\nProto-Indo-European *préh₂i?\nProto-Italic *prai\nProto-Italic *prai-\nLatin prae-lbor.\nMiddle English pre-\nEnglish pre-\nEnglish trainder.\nEnglish pretrain\n[Appendix:Glossary#learned_borrowing|Learned borrowing]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"before\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*préh₂i\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"before\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*per-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*preh₂-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-i\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*prai\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*prai-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"prae-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"lbor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"pre-\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"pre-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" }, { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"train\", \"status\" : \"ambiguous\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"pretrain\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"pretrain\">",
      "name": "etymon"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "pre",
        "3": "train"
      },
      "expansion": "pre- + train",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *per-\nProto-Indo-European *preh₂-\nProto-Indo-European *-i\nProto-Indo-European *préh₂i?\nProto-Italic *prai\nProto-Italic *prai-\nLatin prae-lbor.\nMiddle English pre-\nEnglish pre-\nEnglish trainder.\nEnglish pretrain\nFrom pre- + train.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "pretrains",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pretraining",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pretrained",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pretrained",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pre-train",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "pretrain (third-person singular simple present pretrains, present participle pretraining, simple past and past participle pretrained)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              24,
              34
            ]
          ],
          "text": "In stage one, rats were pretrained to drink from a rotary device.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To train before testing or further training."
      ],
      "id": "en-pretrain-en-verb-4-vGp7at"
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Machine learning",
          "orig": "en:Machine learning",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 72",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries referencing ambiguous etymons",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 72",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with etymology trees",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "28 72",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with etymon",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "23 77",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "38 62",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with pre-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "24 76",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages using etymon with no ID",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 84",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 87",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "20 80",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with etymology trees",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "18 82",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with etymon",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              14,
              23
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2015, Hyeonseob Nam, Bohyung Han, “Learning Multi-Domain Convolutional Neural Networks for Visual Tracking”, in arXiv:",
          "text": "Our algorithm pretrains a CNN using a large set of videos with tracking ground-truths to obtain a generic target representation.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To train (a neural network) on a large corpus or other dataset to acquire a base of general-purpose knowledge, representations, or capabilities that can subsequently be adapted, specialized, or aligned through further training."
      ],
      "id": "en-pretrain-en-verb-Jqb33qnV",
      "links": [
        [
          "machine learning",
          "machine learning"
        ],
        [
          "neural network",
          "neural network"
        ],
        [
          "corpus",
          "corpus"
        ],
        [
          "dataset",
          "dataset"
        ],
        [
          "knowledge",
          "knowledge"
        ],
        [
          "representation",
          "representation"
        ],
        [
          "training",
          "training"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "machine learning",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(machine learning) To train (a neural network) on a large corpus or other dataset to acquire a base of general-purpose knowledge, representations, or capabilities that can subsequently be adapted, specialized, or aligned through further training."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "pretrain"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries referencing ambiguous etymons",
    "English entries with etymology trees",
    "English entries with etymon",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *per- (before)",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *preh₂-",
    "English terms prefixed with pre-",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages using etymon with no ID",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Pages with etymology trees",
    "Pages with etymon"
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "pre-",
        "4": ":der",
        "5": "train",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *per-\nProto-Indo-European *preh₂-\nProto-Indo-European *-i\nProto-Indo-European *préh₂i?\nProto-Italic *prai\nProto-Italic *prai-\nLatin prae-lbor.\nMiddle English pre-\nEnglish pre-\nEnglish trainder.\nEnglish pretrain\n[Appendix:Glossary#learned_borrowing|Learned borrowing]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"before\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*préh₂i\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"before\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*per-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*preh₂-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-i\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*prai\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"keyword\" : \"from\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*prai-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"prae-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"lbor\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"pre-\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"pre-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" }, { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"train\", \"status\" : \"ambiguous\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"pretrain\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"pretrain\">",
      "name": "etymon"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "pre",
        "3": "train"
      },
      "expansion": "pre- + train",
      "name": "prefix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *per-\nProto-Indo-European *preh₂-\nProto-Indo-European *-i\nProto-Indo-European *préh₂i?\nProto-Italic *prai\nProto-Italic *prai-\nLatin prae-lbor.\nMiddle English pre-\nEnglish pre-\nEnglish trainder.\nEnglish pretrain\nFrom pre- + train.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "pretrains",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pretraining",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pretrained",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pretrained",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "pre-train",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "pretrain (third-person singular simple present pretrains, present participle pretraining, simple past and past participle pretrained)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              24,
              34
            ]
          ],
          "text": "In stage one, rats were pretrained to drink from a rotary device.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To train before testing or further training."
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations",
        "en:Machine learning"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              14,
              23
            ]
          ],
          "ref": "2015, Hyeonseob Nam, Bohyung Han, “Learning Multi-Domain Convolutional Neural Networks for Visual Tracking”, in arXiv:",
          "text": "Our algorithm pretrains a CNN using a large set of videos with tracking ground-truths to obtain a generic target representation.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To train (a neural network) on a large corpus or other dataset to acquire a base of general-purpose knowledge, representations, or capabilities that can subsequently be adapted, specialized, or aligned through further training."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "machine learning",
          "machine learning"
        ],
        [
          "neural network",
          "neural network"
        ],
        [
          "corpus",
          "corpus"
        ],
        [
          "dataset",
          "dataset"
        ],
        [
          "knowledge",
          "knowledge"
        ],
        [
          "representation",
          "representation"
        ],
        [
          "training",
          "training"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "machine learning",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(machine learning) To train (a neural network) on a large corpus or other dataset to acquire a base of general-purpose knowledge, representations, or capabilities that can subsequently be adapted, specialized, or aligned through further training."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "pretrain"
}

Download raw JSONL data for pretrain meaning in English (5.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-09-09 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-09-02 using wiktextract (ccec6f1 and 4deed51). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.