prepare

Borrowed from Middle French preparer, from Classical Latin praeparāre (“make ready in advance”), from prae- (“pre-”) + parāre (“make ready”).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /pɹɪˈpɛə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /pɹɪˈpɛəɹ/, /pɹəˈpɛəɹ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

prepare (third-person singular simple present prepares, present participle preparing, simple past and past participle prepared)

1. (transitive) To make ready for a specific future purpose; to set up; to assemble.

   We prepared the spacecraft for takeoff.

   • Bible, Psalms cvii. 36

     that they may prepare a city for habitation

   • Dryden

     our souls, not yet prepared for upper light

2. (transitive) To make ready for eating or drinking; to cook.

   We prepared a fish for dinner.

3. (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.

4. (transitive) To produce or make by combining elements; to synthesize, compound.

   She prepared a meal from what was left in the cupboards.

• This is a catenative verb that can take a following verb in its to + infinitive form. See Appendix:English catenative verbs

• busk, forgraith, graith, ready, yark

• preparation

prepare

1. (obsolete) preparation
   • 1595, William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part 3, IV. i. 130:

     Go levy men, and make prepare for war;

• paperer, repaper

From French préparer (“prepare”), from Latin praeparāre (“make ready in advance”), from prae- (“pre-”) + parāre (“make ready”).

prepare

1. prepare

prepare

1. first-person singular present subjunctive of preparar
2. third-person singular present subjunctive of preparar
3. first-person singular imperative of preparar
4. third-person singular imperative of preparar

prepare

1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of preparar.
2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of preparar.
3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of preparar.
4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present subjunctive form of preparar.