Both Uses of
premeditated
in
The Scarlet Letter
- There was fire in her and throughout her: she seemed the unpremeditated offshoot of a passionate moment.†
p. 94.8unpremeditated = not plannedstandard prefix: The prefix "un-" in unpremeditated means not and reverses the meaning of premeditated. This is the same pattern you see in words like unhappy, unknown, and unlucky.
- In spite of his premeditated carefulness, the floor would now and then creak; his garments would rustle; the shadow of his presence, in a forbidden proximity, would be thrown across his victim.†
p. 120.4 *
Definition:
to plan or consider before doing -- especially of a crime