Preg

Preg is a term that can refer to different things depending on context. In everyday language and in medical settings, it is a common abbreviation for pregnancy or for a pregnant person. In clinical notes, patient forms, and health records, “preg” may indicate that someone is pregnant, sometimes alongside information such as gestational age or estimated due date. The abbreviation is widely understood in obstetric and maternal health contexts.

In computing, preg is a prefix used in PHP to designate functions that use Perl-compatible regular expressions. The functions, often referred to as the PCRE-based functions, include preg_match, preg_match_all, preg_replace, preg_split, and preg_quote. They implement pattern matching and text manipulation using PCRE syntax. These functions are widely used in PHP code to validate input, extract data from strings, or transform text.

Beyond these uses, the term’s meaning is largely determined by context. When encountered in code or technical documentation, it most often signals a reference to PCRE-based regular expressions. In medical or clinical text, it usually denotes pregnancy status. The surrounding words and punctuation typically clarify which sense is intended.