prepare

pre·pare

verb \pri-ˈper\

pre·paredpre·par·ing

Definition of PREPARE

transitive verb

1

a : to make ready beforehand for some purpose, use, or activity <prepare food for dinner>

b : to put in a proper state of mind <is prepared to listen>

2

: to work out the details of : plan in advance <preparing a campaign strategy>

3

a : to put together : compound <prepare a prescription>

b : to put into written form <prepare a report>

intransitive verb

: to get ready <preparing for a career>

— pre·par·er noun

Examples of PREPARE

1. The teacher prepared the students for the test.
2. Your room is being prepared now and should be ready soon.
3. The nurses prepared the patient for surgery.
4. Farmers are busy preparing the soil for planting.
5. They'll be arriving soon. We don't have much more time to prepare.
6. We don't have much more time to prepare ourselves for their arrival.
7. She tried to prepare herself for bad news.
8. The sailors are preparing themselves for a long voyage.
9. The pharmacist prepared the prescription.

Origin of PREPARE

Middle English, from Middle French preparer, from Latin praeparare, from prae- pre- + parare to procure, prepare — more at pare

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to PREPARE

Synonyms

fit, fix, groom, lay, prep, ready

Related Words

brace, fortify, gird, steel; batten, gather, gear up, mount; educate, indoctrinate, instruct, school, train, tutor; boot (up), prime; arrange, set, spread; arm, equip, forearm, furnish, outfit, provide, supply; incline, predispose; draft, draw up, frame; warm (up)

Rhymes with PREPARE

affair, aglare, airfare, Ajmer, Altair, antbear, armchair, au pair, aware, bakeware, barware, Basseterre, Baudelaire, beachwear, bergère, beware, bid fair, big hair, black bear, bricklayer, broodmare, brown bear, bugbear, caneware, carfare, Carrère, cave bear, chi-square, clayware, club chair, compare, compere, confrere, cookware, corsair, courseware, creamware, crosshair, cudbear, daymare, dead air, decare, deck chair, declare, delftware, despair, dishware, éclair, elsewhere, ensnare, eyewear, fanfare, fieldfare, firmware, flatware, Flaubert, footwear, forbear, forebear, forswear, foursquare, freeware, funfair, galère, giftware, glassware, Great Bear, groupware, Gruyère, guard hair, hardware, health care, hectare, high chair, horsehair, hot air, impair, infare, Khmer, Kildare, knitwear, life-care, light air, longhair, loungewear, Mayfair, menswear, meunière, midair, mohair, Molière, neckwear, nightmare, no fair, outstare, out-there, outwear, playwear, plein air, plowshare, Poor Clare, Port Blair, portiere, premiere, pushchair, rainwear, redware, repair, root hair, Sancerre, sea hare, shank's mare, shareware, shorthair, side chair, Sinclair, skiwear, sleepwear, slipware, sloth bear, software, somewhere, spongeware, sportswear, stemware, stoneware, sun bear, swimwear, threadbare, tinware, torchère, trouvère, tuyere, unfair, unhair, unswear, Voltaire, warfare, welfare, wheelchair, wirehair, workfare

pre·pare

transitive verb \pri-ˈpa(ə)r, -ˈpe(ə)r\   (Medical Dictionary)

pre·pared; pre·par·ing

Medical Definition of PREPARE

1

: to make ready beforehand <prepare a patient for surgery>

2

: to put together : compound <prepared a vaccine from live virus> <prepared the doctor's prescription>