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preoperative
preordain
preovulatory
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prepaid interest
preparation
Preparation of the Gifts
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preparation

prep·a·ra·tion [ prèppə ráysh'n ] (plural prep·a·ra·tions)


noun 
Definition:
 
1. preparing something or somebody: the work or planning involved in making something or somebody ready or in putting something together in advance ( often used before a noun )
a preparation time of about 45 minutes

2. readiness: a state of readiness
Twenty place settings lay carefully arranged in preparation for the guests.

3. preparatory measure: something done in advance in order to be ready for a future event ( often pl )
Preparations for the next Olympic Games are already under way.

4. mixture: a substance, e.g. a medicine, that is made by combining various ingredients
a cough preparation

5. U.K. homework: at a boarding school or private school in the United Kingdom, work to be done by students outside normal school hours

6. U.K. study time: at a boarding school in the United Kingdom, the time during which students do homework or prepare for lessons

7. music softening approach to dissonance: in traditional composition, a lessening of the effect of a dissonant chord by using the discordant note harmonically in a preceding chord

[14th century. Via French< Latin praeparation-< praeparare (see prepare)]
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