Adjacent Words

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PREPA'RE, v.t. [L. paro.]
1. In a general sense, to fit, adapt or qualify for a particular purpose, end, use, service or state, by any means whatever. We prepare ground for seed by tillage; we prepare cloth for use by dressing; we prepare medicines by pulverization, mixture, etc.; we prepare young men for college by previous instruction; men are prepared for professions by suitable study; holiness of heart is necessary to prepare men for the enjoyment of happiness with holy beings.
2. To make ready; as, to prepare the table for entertaining company.
3. To provide; to procure as suitable; as, to prepare arms, ammunition and provisions for troops; to prepare ships for defense.
Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him. 1 Samuel 15.
4. To set; to establish.
The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens. Psalms 103.
5. To appoint.
It shall be given to them for whom it is prepared. Matthew 20.
6. To guide, direct or establish. 1 Chronicles 29.
PREPA'RE, v.i. To make all things ready; to put things in suitable order; as, prepare for dinner.
1. To take the necessary previous measures.
Dido preparing to kill herself.
2. To make one's self ready.
Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. Amos 4.
PREPA'RE, n. Preparation. [Not in use.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc; "Get the children ready for school!"; "prepare for war"; "I was fixing to leave town after I paid the hotel bill" [syn: fix, prepare, set up, ready, gear up, set]
2: prepare for eating by applying heat; "Cook me dinner, please"; "can you make me an omelette?"; "fix breakfast for the guests, please" [syn: cook, fix, ready, make, prepare]
3: to prepare verbally, either for written or spoken delivery; "prepare a report"; "prepare a speech"
4: arrange by systematic planning and united effort; "machinate a plot"; "organize a strike"; "devise a plan to take over the director's office" [syn: organize, organise, prepare, devise, get up, machinate]
5: educate for a future role or function; "He is grooming his son to become his successor"; "The prince was prepared to become King one day"; "They trained him to be a warrior" [syn: prepare, groom, train]
6: create by training and teaching; "The old master is training world-class violinists"; "we develop the leaders for the future" [syn: train, develop, prepare, educate]
7: lead up to and soften by sounding the dissonant note in it as a consonant note in the preceding chord; "prepare the discord in bar 139"
8: undergo training or instruction in preparation for a particular role, function, or profession; "She is training to be a teacher"; "He trained as a legal aid" [syn: train, prepare]

Merriam Webster's

verb (prepared; preparing) Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French preparer, from Latin praeparare, from prae- pre- + parare to procure, prepare — more at pare Date: 15th century 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> • preparer noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. 1 tr. make or get ready for use, consideration, etc. 2 tr. make ready or assemble (food, a meal, etc.) for eating. 3 a tr. make (a person or oneself) ready or disposed in some way (prepares students for university; prepared them for a shock). b intr. put oneself or things in readiness, get ready (prepare to jump). 4 tr. make (a chemical product etc.) by a regular process. 5 tr. Mus. lead up to (a discord). Phrases and idioms: be prepared (often foll. by for, or to + infin.) be disposed or willing to. Derivatives: preparer n. Etymology: ME f. F préparer or L praeparare (as PRAE-, parare make ready)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prepare Pre*pare", v. i. 1. To make all things ready; to put things in order; as, to prepare for a hostile invasion. ``Bid them prepare for dinner.'' --Shak. 2. To make one's self ready; to get ready; to take the necessary previous measures; as, to prepare for death.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prepare Pre*pare", n. Preparation. [Obs.] --Shak.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prepare Pre*pare", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prepare?; p. pr. & vb. n. Preparing.] [F. pr['e]parer, L. praeparare; prae before + parare to make ready. See Pare.] 1. To fit, adapt, or qualify for a particular purpose or condition; to make ready; to put into a state for use or application; as, to prepare ground for seed; to prepare a lesson. Our souls, not yet prepared for upper light. --Dryden. 2. To procure as suitable or necessary; to get ready; to provide; as, to prepare ammunition and provisions for troops; to prepare ships for defence; to prepare an entertainment. --Milton. That they may prepare a city for habitation. --Ps. cvii. 36 Syn: To fit; adjust; adapt; qualify; equip; provide; form; make; make; ready.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prepare Pre*pare", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prepare?; p. pr. & vb. n. Preparing.] [F. pr['e]parer, L. praeparare; prae before + parare to make ready. See Pare.] 1. To fit, adapt, or qualify for a particular purpose or condition; to make ready; to put into a state for use or application; as, to prepare ground for seed; to prepare a lesson. Our souls, not yet prepared for upper light. --Dryden. 2. To procure as suitable or necessary; to get ready; to provide; as, to prepare ammunition and provisions for troops; to prepare ships for defence; to prepare an entertainment. --Milton. That they may prepare a city for habitation. --Ps. cvii. 36 Syn: To fit; adjust; adapt; qualify; equip; provide; form; make; make; ready.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(prepares, preparing, prepared) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. If you prepare something, you make it ready for something that is going to happen. Two technicians were preparing a videotape recording of last week's programme... The crew of the Iowa has been preparing the ship for storage. VERB: V n, V n for n 2. If you prepare for an event or action that will happen soon, you get yourself ready for it or make the necessary arrangements. The Party leadership is using management consultants to help prepare for the next election... He had to go back to his hotel and prepare to catch a train for New York... His doctor had told him to prepare himself for surgery. VERB: V for n, V to-inf, V pron-refl for n 3. When you prepare food, you get it ready to be eaten, for example by cooking it. She made her way to the kitchen, hoping to find someone preparing dinner... VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. a. 1. Fit, adapt, qualify, adjust. 2. Provide, procure, get ready, put in order, arrange, order, make, plan. II. v. n. Get ready, put things in order, set one's house in order, make arrangements, make provision, take steps.

Moby Thesaurus

accommodate, accouter, adapt, afford, appoint, apprentice, arm, arrange, arrange for, assemble, author, bake, barbecue, baste, be about to, blanch, boil, brace, braise, break, break in, breed, brew, brief, bring up, broil, brown, build, cast, change, clear for action, clear the decks, clothe, coauthor, coddle, collaborate, compose, compound, concoct, condition, consider every angle, construct, contribute, cook, cook up, cram, create, cultivate, cure, curry, dash off, deploy, develop, devil, devise, discipline, dispose, do, do to perfection, donate, dower, dress, drill, editorialize, educate, elaborate, endow, endue, equip, erect, evolve, exercise, extrude, fabricate, fashion, fetch up, fill, fill up, find, fire, fit, fit out, fit up, fix, fix to, fix up, forearm, forge, form, formulate, fortify, foster, frame, free-lance, fricassee, frizz, frizzle, fry, fudge together, fund, furnish, gear, get, get ready, get ready to, get set for, get up, ghost, ghostwrite, give, griddle, grill, groom, guard against, heat, hedge, heel, house-train, housebreak, improve, indite, invest, keep, knock off, knock out, lay by, leave out nothing, lick into shape, look out for, maintain, make, make arrangements, make available, make preparations, make provision for, make ready, make sure, make sure against, make up, man, manufacture, marshal, mature, mobilize, modify, mold, mould, munition, novelize, nurse, nurture, organize, outfit, oven-bake, overlook no possibility, pamphleteer, pan, pan-broil, parboil, patch together, piece together, plan, play safe, poach, practice, prearrange, predispose, prefabricate, prep, prepare food, prepare for, present, pretreat, prime, process, produce, provide, provide a hedge, provide against, provide for, put in order, put in shape, put in tune, put out, put to school, put together, put up, raise, ready, ready up, rear, recruit, reef down, rehearse, replenish, rig, rig out, rig up, roast, run up, saute, scallop, scenarize, sear, send to school, set up, settle preliminaries, shape, shirr, shorten sail, simmer, staff, steam, steel, stew, stir-fry, stock, store, strengthen, study, subsidize, supply, support, swot, take in hand, take measures, take precautions, take steps, tan, teach, throw on paper, toast, train, transform, treat, trim, try out, turn out, whip up, whomp up, write, yield