1. to treat (something) beforehand or in advance, especially to prepare it for a subsequent process
Usage: technical; often used in manufacturing and chemistry

Examples

• The factory pretreats the fabric before dyeing it.
• She pretreats stains on clothing with a special solution.
• The water treatment plant pretreats the incoming water to remove large particles.
• The manufacturer pretreats the metal surface to improve paint adhesion.
• Workers pretreat the wood with preservatives before construction.
• The lab pretreats samples to eliminate contaminants.