prestress

verb

1. To apply stress to structural components in order to produce a tension that counteracts the loads to which the component is subjected in its designed use.

adj

1. (not-comparable)Before a stress (emphasis placed on a syllable of a word).

   “Thus, the acute accent is typically characterized by an F₀-maximum in the prestress syllable and an F₀-minimum in the stressed syllable, while for the grave accent the corresponding F₀-maximum occurs in the stressed syllable and the F₀-minimum in the poststress syllable.”