prep

1 of 3

noun

ˈprep 

1

: preparation

2

: preparatory school

3

: a preliminary trial for a racehorse

prep

2 of 3

verb

prepped; prepping

intransitive verb

1

: to attend preparatory school

2

[short for prepare] : to get ready

transitive verb

: prepare

especially : to prepare for an operation or examination

nurses prepped the patient

PrEP

3 of 3

abbreviation

pre-exposure prophylaxis

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that PrEP, when used consistently, can reduce the risk of H.I.V. infection by up to 92 percent.

—Ginia Bellafante

Synonyms of prep

Verb

• prepare

Examples of prep in a Sentence

Noun

Painting a room involves a lot of prep.

Verb

She spent all night prepping for the test.

The runners are prepping themselves for the race.

It took me about 20 minutes to prep the vegetables.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Then comes the Grand Bal, a personalized menu that targets the hair, face, hands, and feet for the ultimate pre-event prep. — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 27 July 2026

The Super Bowl had just concluded, and conversation turned from earnings and board prep to global scale. — Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Verb

To avoid playing bartender as guests arrive, prep a signature cocktail or two in pitchers ahead of time. — Sarah Halverson, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 July 2026

The star of the show was the Acidic Bonding Concentrate Leave-In Conditioner, a damage-fighting serum the stylist used to prep her hair that tames frizz and strengthens split ends. — Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 13 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1909, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing prep

• prep school

Rhymes for prep

• cep
• hep
• pep
• rep
• sep
• step
• steppe
• strep
• yep
• bicep
• doorstep
• footstep

Medical Definition

prep

1 of 3 noun

ˈprep 

: the act or an instance of preparing a patient for a surgical operation

the nurse had three preps to do

prep

2 of 3 transitive verb

prepped; prepping

: to prepare for a surgical operation or examination

prep the patient for an appendectomy

PrEP

3 of 3 abbreviation

pre-exposure prophylaxis

The introduction of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has shown significant promise in reducing the rate of HIV incidence. … Although nearly 1.2 million people could benefit from PrEP, AIDS Vaccine Advocacy Coalition (AVAC) estimates that ~130,000–135,000 individuals were actively on PrEP in late 2019—meaning <15% of individuals in need of PrEP had a current prescription.

—Benedikt Pleuhs et al., AIDS Patient Care and STDs