praesto

Praesto, praestare, praestiti, praestitum is first conjugation, prae plus sto, "to stand out in front". Two constructions, two meanings. Intransitively it takes a dative of the person or thing surpassed and an ablative of respect: virtute ceteris praestare, to be ahead of the rest in courage. Transitively it takes an accusative and means to supply, furnish or make good, so praestare fidem is to deliver on a promise and praestare damnum is to make good a loss, which is why the verb is all over Roman contract law.

Impersonally, praestat plus an infinitive means "it is better to". And beware the identical adverb praesto, "at hand, ready", which appears in praesto esse, "to be on hand"; same spelling, entirely different word.