Library / English Dictionary

PREPARE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc

Example:

I was fixing to leave town after I paid the hotel bill

Synonyms:

fix; gear up; prepare; ready; set; set up

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "prepare" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "prepare"):

brace; poise (prepare (oneself) for something unpleasant or difficult)

crop; cultivate; work (prepare for crops)

prime (insert a primer into (a gun, mine, or charge) preparatory to detonation or firing)

summerise; summerize (prepare for summer)

winterise; winterize (prepare for winter)

lay out; set; set up (get ready for a particular purpose or event)

mount (fix onto a backing, setting, or support)

fix (kill, preserve, and harden (tissue) in order to prepare for microscopic study)

precondition (put into the required condition beforehand)

cram (prepare (students) hastily for an impending exam)

provide (take measures in preparation for)

socialise; socialize (prepare for social life)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP
Somebody ----s to INFINITIVE

Derivation:

preparation (the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose)

preparation (the state of having been made ready or prepared for use or action (especially military action))

preparative; preparatory (preceding and preparing for something)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession

Example:

He trained as a legal aid

Synonyms:

prepare; train

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "prepare" is one way to...):

learn; read; study; take (be a student of a certain subject)

Verb group:

develop; educate; prepare; train (create by training and teaching)

groom; prepare; train (educate for a future role or function)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "prepare"):

apprentice (be or work as an apprentice)

retrain (train again)

drill (undergo military training or do military exercises)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s to somebody

Derivation:

preparation (preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home))

preparatory (preceding and preparing for something)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Create by training and teaching

Example:

we develop the leaders for the future

Synonyms:

develop; educate; prepare; train

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Hypernyms (to "prepare" is one way to...):

instruct; learn; teach (impart skills or knowledge to)

Verb group:

build up; develop (change the use of and make available or usable)

prepare; train (undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession)

groom; prepare; train (educate for a future role or function)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "prepare"):

retrain (teach new skills)

drill (train in the military, e.g., in the use of weapons)

house-train; housebreak (train (a pet) to live cleanly in a house)

toilet-train (train (a small child) to use the toilet)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

preparation (activity leading to skilled behavior)

preparatory (preceding and preparing for something)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Arrange by systematic planning and united effort

Example:

devise a plan to take over the director's office

Synonyms:

devise; get up; machinate; organise; organize; prepare

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "prepare" is one way to...):

initiate; pioneer (take the lead or initiative in; participate in the development of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "prepare"):

embattle (prepare for battle or conflict)

spatchcock (prepare for eating if or as if a spatchcock)

sandwich (make into a sandwich)

set up (begin, or enable someone else to begin, a venture by providing the means, logistics, etc.)

lay (prepare or position for action or operation)

mount; put on (prepare and supply with the necessary equipment for execution or performance)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

preparative (preceding and preparing for something)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Prepare for eating by applying heat

Example:

fix breakfast for the guests, please

Synonyms:

cook; fix; make; prepare; ready

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "prepare" is one way to...):

create from raw material; create from raw stuff (make from scratch)

Verb group:

make (gather and light the materials for)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "prepare"):

keep; preserve (prevent (food) from rotting)

dress; dress out (kill and prepare for market or consumption)

deglaze (dissolve cooking juices or solid food in (a pan) by adding liquid and stirring)

escallop; scallop (bake in a sauce, milk, etc., often with breadcrumbs on top)

flambe (pour liquor over and ignite (a dish))

put on (put on the stove or ready for cooking)

devil (coat or stuff with a spicy paste)

precook (cook beforehand so that the actual preparation won't take long)

whip up; whomp up (prepare or cook quickly or hastily)

concoct; cook up (prepare or cook by mixing ingredients)

lard (prepare or cook with lard)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

The chefs prepare the vegetables

Derivation:

preparation (the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat)

Sense 6

Meaning:

To prepare verbally, either for written or spoken delivery

Example:

prepare a speech

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "prepare" is one way to...):

create; make (make or cause to be or to become)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "prepare"):

rough; rough in; rough out (prepare in preliminary or sketchy form)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 7

Meaning:

Lead up to and soften by sounding the dissonant note in it as a consonant note in the preceding chord

Example:

prepare the discord in bar 139

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Hypernyms (to "prepare" is one way to...):

sound (cause to sound)

Domain category:

music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

preparation ((music) a note that produces a dissonant chord is first heard in a consonant chord)

Sense 8

Meaning:

Educate for a future role or function

Example:

They trained him to be a warrior

Synonyms:

groom; prepare; train

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "prepare" is one way to...):

educate (give an education to)

Verb group:

prepare; train (undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession)

develop; educate; prepare; train (create by training and teaching)

check; condition; discipline; train (develop (a child's or animal's) behavior by instruction and practice; especially to teach self-control)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "prepare"):

dispose; qualify (make fit or prepared)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

preparation (activity leading to skilled behavior)

preparative; preparatory (preceding and preparing for something)

Credits

 Context examples: 

This vaccine is prepared from blood samples of patients following their first relapse.

(Autologous-Cell Leukemia Vaccine, NCI Thesaurus)

A non-infectious recombinant cancer vaccine prepared from the human papillomavirus (HPV) with potential immunoprophylactic activity.

(Broad-Spectrum Human Papillomavirus Vaccine V505, NCI Thesaurus)

A solid contained within either a hard or soft soluble shell, usually prepared from gelatin.

(Capsule Dosage Form, NCI Thesaurus)

At the end of the P20 grant cycle, the organization should be prepared to submit a CCSG application.

(Cancer Center Planning Grant, NCI Thesaurus)

To slaughter or prepare an animal for market.

(Butcher, NCI Thesaurus)

Mary need not have feared her sister's being in any degree prepared for the news.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

These so-called structure correctors eliminated all the possible signs for Alzheimer's disease, and the researchers are now looking to further improve the compounds to prepare for human testing in the future.

(Alzheimer's Disease Gene Successfully Removed From Human Brain, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

All food was prepared and served in the clinical setting.

(Molecular ties between lack of sleep and weight gain, NIH)

The release of the raw, uncalibrated data collected will aid astronomers in preparing proposals due this month to use telescopes on Earth next winter to further investigate TRAPPIST-1.

(NASA's Kepler Provides Another Peek at Ultra-cool Neighbor, NASA)

Progesterone is best known for its role in preparing the uterus for pregnancy, but the hormone has also been shown to promote nerve, blood vessel, and bone tissue repair.

(Scientists Help Frogs to Regenerate Their Limbs with Bioreactor Device, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)