Modifies a noun

• strike: Sammy, angry at being repeatedly denied her serve, makes a preemptive strike on Daddy's forearm.

• war: In Portland, Oregon, at least 20,000 peopl e gathered against a preemptive war against Iraq - read entire feature.

• attack: To our authors, the answer is obvious: we should launch preemptive attacks on these countries.

• right: In addition to voting rights, common shareholders sometimes enjoy what are called " preemptive rights.

• multitasker: Also included in the release is a patch for normal Wimp calls, making them call the preemptive multitasker SWIs instead.