prep1
/prɛp
/informal
verb (preps, prepping, prepped) [with object]
1Prepare (something); make ready: scores of volunteers help prep the food...
- Behind him a few officers made an obviously conscious effort to look busy at their stations despite the fact that their ship was prepped and ready to go.
- Nick called the plane from the taxi and when we got there, it was prepped and ready to go.
- I have to buy the food, prep it, prepare it, serve it to you, and clean it up, but I don't get paid for my time.
1.1 [no object] Prepare oneself for an event: to prep for his role he trimmed his unruly locks...
- She is actually prepping for a role in an off Broadway show called 'We're Still Hot.'
- As it is, she still looks gorgeous as she preps for her return to Broadway.
- So he was clearly prepping for the interviews ahead.
noun [mass noun]
Preparation: the lasagne I usually make takes an hour of cooking time, not to mention the prep...
- If you let it go much longer than that, you'll need more preparation work, and prep is the hardest part of the job!
- As DIY experts never tire of reminding us, decorating requires thorough preparation, and the correct prep for painting is a wash down with sugar soap.
- Your prep work is done a day in advance, and all in under 15 minutes - and that long only if you're slow with the chopping.
Origin
1920s: abbreviation of prepare or preparation.
Rhymes
prep2
/prɛp/noun informal
1 [mass noun] British (In an independent school) schoolwork that is set to be done outside normal school hours.Pupils at a school like Westminster enjoy all the lavish benefits of tiny class sizes, personal tuition, nightly prep, awesome library facilities, and sometimes staff who are cosy with the ways of examining boards....
- And so I did some prep, and settled down in front of early evening television, awaiting Scott's return.
1.1(Especially in a boarding school) a period set aside for doing homework or preparing for lessons.Anyways, Sanjay stopped by during my prep period....
- My prep period was last I started reading the journals.
- I was in my prep period and decided, since everything was finished, my final was all set; I might as well go now.
2 [as modifier] Relating to education in a prep school: sixth-formers and prep pupils...
- Teachers insist that prep classes with 25 pupils or more require an aide for 30 hours in term 1 and 25 hours for the rest of the year.
- At Monticello prep students and their teacher lived together in a common building.
- Like their aforementioned prep classmates, they likely will gain the honor of becoming top 10 selections.
3North American A student in a prep school.Most of the kids that went to Springfield High School were preps, too good to associate with us....
- If those preps back at the boarding school had done this, I was going to kill them when I returned in September.
- They were planning on robbing some rich college preps, and getting fast cash.
Origin
Mid 19th century: abbreviation of preparation.
PrEP3
noun
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (the taking of a prescription drug as a means of preventing HIV infection in an HIV-negative person): the use of antiretroviral drugs for PrEP can offer some protection against HIV infection
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