prep
prep — noun
1. the work of getting ingredients ready for cooking, such as washing, chopping, an
the work of getting ingredients ready for cooking, such as washing, chopping, and measuring, or the time this work takes.
Marcus does all the prep on Sunday so weekday dinners are quick.
do + the prep collocation
The recipe takes only ten minutes of prep but an hour to bake.
prep as time measure: minutes of prep
Lina chopped onions and peppers as part of the dinner prep.
Most of the prep for the soup can be done a day ahead.
Prep time on the package said twenty minutes, but it took longer.
- preparation
the full, more formal noun; 'prep' is the casual short form
- groundwork
broader; refers to early stages of any task, not specifically cooking
文法句型
food prep
prep time
用法筆記
Frequently appears in compounds like 'prep time' and 'food prep', and after measure phrases ('ten minutes of prep'). Distinguish from sense 2: this one centres on cooking, not on getting people ready.
常見錯誤
2. the things a person does to get themselves or someone else ready before an event
the things a person does to get themselves or someone else ready before an event, test, or activity.
Sarah spent two weeks on prep for her driving test.
prep for + event
Coach Diaz drilled the swimmers on race-day prep at the Tuesday team meeting.
Without two months of prep, Hannah would have frozen during her police academy interview.
Carlos did all his exam prep at the local library.
Her trial prep included reading hundreds of pages of notes.
- preparation
the longer, neutral form; 'prep' suits casual speech
- training
implies repeated practice; prep can be just one session
文法句型
prep for + event
用法筆記
Often used in compounds naming the event being prepared for: 'exam prep', 'interview prep', 'trial prep', 'race prep'. Distinguish from sense 1: this is about readying a person or team, not ingredients.
常見錯誤
3. a smaller race that a horse runs in to get fit and sharp before a big, important
a smaller race that a horse runs in to get fit and sharp before a big, important race.
The brown colt won his prep at Belmont by three lengths.
Most Derby horses run at least one prep in March.
run + a prep collocation
Her trainer chose a short prep over a long one to save the horse's legs.
The filly looked tired in her last prep, so the team rested her for a week.
- warm-up race
plainer everyday phrase for the same idea
- trial
broader sporting term; not limited to horses
- main race
the important race the prep is leading up to
用法筆記
Specialist horse-racing term; expect a horse subject and verbs like 'run', 'win', 'enter'. Often the noun appears with a possessive ('his prep', 'her last prep') showing which horse it belongs to.
4. study or written tasks that pupils, mostly at British private schools, finish at
study or written tasks that pupils, mostly at British private schools, finish at home or after the school day ends.
Lucy had two hours of prep every evening at her boarding school.
hours of prep collocation
The boys finished their prep before going down to dinner.
Maths prep was due first thing on Monday morning.
Mr. Khan supervised prep in the quiet study room each night.
- homework
everyday word, used in most schools and countries
- assignment
more formal; emphasises a specific task with a deadline
用法筆記
British boarding-school usage; in state schools and most American schools, the word is 'homework'. Often paired with a subject ('history prep', 'maths prep') or a time ('evening prep', 'two hours of prep').
常見錯誤
5. a short label used in dictionaries and grammar books for the word class 'preposi
a short label used in dictionaries and grammar books for the word class 'preposition' (words like 'in', 'on', 'at').
In the dictionary, 'between' is marked 'prep' to show its word class.
prep as label after a quoted word
Her grammar notes used 'prep' next to every word like 'on' or 'under'.
Students often confuse the 'prep' label with the 'adv' label in their textbook.
The teacher told the class that 'prep' in the glossary just means 'preposition'.
- preposition
the full term, used in writing and speech
用法筆記
Only seen in printed reference materials, dictionary entries, and grammar exercises. Rarely spoken aloud; if you read it, you usually say 'preposition' in full.
6. a daily pill that someone without HIV can take to stop them from catching the vi
a daily pill that someone without HIV can take to stop them from catching the virus; short for 'pre-exposure prophylaxis'.
Daniel has been on PrEP for three years and gets tested every six months.
be on PrEP fixed phrase
The clinic offers free PrEP to anyone at higher risk of HIV.
Doctors say PrEP works best when the pill is taken every day.
Many gay men in the city now use PrEP as part of their health routine.
- pre-exposure prophylaxis
the full medical term that 'PrEP' stands for
- PEP
post-exposure prophylaxis, taken after possible HIV exposure
用法筆記
Almost always written 'PrEP' in capitals, since it is an initialism. Very common in fixed phrases: 'be on PrEP', 'start PrEP', 'PrEP user', 'PrEP clinic'. Strictly a medical, public-health context.
常見錯誤
prep — verb
1. to make yourself, or to help another person, become ready before an event, test,
to make yourself, or to help another person, become ready before an event, test, or task.
Carlos prepped for the marathon by running every morning at six.
prep for + event
Ms. Tanaka prepped her students for the listening exam with weekly tests.
prep + person + for + event
The whole team prepped together in the locker room before kickoff.
Lina prepped hard all summer and got into her first-choice university.
I need an hour to prep before the job interview tomorrow.
文法句型
prep for + event
prep someone for + event
用法筆記
Either intransitive ('I prepped for the test') or transitive with a person object ('She prepped me for the interview'). Distinguish from verb sense 2: that one takes a thing as the object, not a person preparing for something.
常見錯誤
2. to get a thing such as food, a room, or a piece of equipment into the state need
to get a thing such as food, a room, or a piece of equipment into the state needed for use.
The chef prepped the vegetables while the oven warmed up.
prep + ingredient (cooking)
Marcus prepped the spare room before his cousin arrived from Tokyo.
prep + room
Volunteers prepped the church hall for Saturday's wedding party.
Sarah prepped the camera and tripod before sunrise at the lake.
Please prep the meeting room — coffee, chairs, and a clean board.
文法句型
prep + thing
用法筆記
Object is a thing, not a person. Common objects: ingredients, rooms, venues, equipment, vehicles. Distinguish from verb sense 1, where the object (or implied subject) is a person being readied.
常見錯誤
3. to clean, shave, and otherwise get a patient's body ready before a doctor perfor
to clean, shave, and otherwise get a patient's body ready before a doctor performs an operation.
The nurse prepped Mr. Allen for heart surgery early Monday morning.
prep + patient + for + surgery
Two staff prepped the patient while Dr. Chen scrubbed in.
Mrs. Okafor was prepped quickly in the trauma bay because the bleeding would not stop.
Junior doctors learn how to prep a patient on their first hospital rotation.
文法句型
prep + patient + for + procedure
用法筆記
Strictly medical use; subject is usually hospital staff (nurse, doctor, team), and the object is a named patient or 'the patient'. Frequently passive ('the patient was prepped'). Distinguish from verb sense 1: this is hands-on physical preparation of a body, not coaching a person for a test.