prepare
See also: prépare, préparé, and preparé
English
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French preparer, from Classical Latin praeparāre (“make ready in advance”), from prae- (“pre-”) + parāre (“make ready”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /pɹɪˈpɛə/
- (General American) IPA(key): /pɹɪˈpɛəɹ/, /pɹəˈpɛəɹ/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -ɛə(ɹ)
Verb
prepare (third-person singular simple present prepares, present participle preparing, simple past and past participle prepared)
- (transitive) To make ready for a specific future purpose; to set up; to assemble or equip.
- We prepared the spacecraft for takeoff.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], OCLC 964384981, Psalms 107:36:
- that they may prepare a city for habitation
- 1700, [John] Dryden, “The Flower and the Leaf: Or, The Lady in the Arbour. A Vision.”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], OCLC 228732415:
- our souls, not yet prepared for upper light
- (transitive) To make ready for eating or drinking; to cook.
- We prepared a fish for dinner.
- (intransitive) To make oneself ready; to get ready, make preparation.
- 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess:
- As soon as Julia returned with a constable, Timothy, who was on the point of exhaustion, prepared to give over to him gratefully. The newcomer turned out to be a powerful youngster, fully trained and eager to help, and he stripped off his tunic at once.
- We prepared for a bumpy ride.
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- (transitive) To produce or make by combining elements; to synthesize, compound.
- She prepared a meal from what was left in the cupboards.
Usage notes
- This is a catenative verb that can take a following verb in its to + infinitive form. See Appendix:English catenative verbs
Synonyms
- busk (obsolete), graith (obsolete), ready, yark (obsolete)
- (To make oneself ready): get ready
Derived terms
- foreprepare
- if you want peace, prepare for war (proverb)
- unprepare
Related terms
- preparation
Translations
to make ready for a specific future purpose
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to make ready for eating or drinking
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to make oneself ready
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to produce by combining elements
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Noun
prepare
- (obsolete) preparation
- c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act IV, scene i], line 130:
- Go levy men, and make prepare for war;
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Anagrams
- paperer, repaper
Haitian Creole
Etymology
From French préparer (“prepare”), from Latin praeparāre (“make ready in advance”), from prae- (“pre-”) + parāre (“make ready”).
Verb
prepare
- prepare
Portuguese
Verb
prepare
- inflection of preparar:
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive
- third-person singular imperative
Romanian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [preˈpare]
Verb
prepare
- third-person singular/plural present subjunctive of prepara
Spanish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /pɾeˈpaɾe/ [pɾeˈpa.ɾe]
- Rhymes: -aɾe
- Syllabification: pre‧pa‧re
Verb
prepare
- inflection of preparar:
- first/third-person singular present subjunctive
- third-person singular imperative