(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
Preparation is the process of getting something ready for use or for a particular purpose or making arrangements for something.
Rub the surface of the wood in ~ for the varnish...
Behind any successful event lay months of ~.
N-UNCOUNT: usu with supp, oft N for/of n
2.
Preparations are all the arrangements that are made for a future event.
The United States is making ~s for a large-scale airlift of 1,200 American citizens...
N-PLURAL
3.
A ~ is a mixture that has been prepared for use as food, medicine, or a cosmetic.
...anti-ageing creams and sensitive-skin ~s.
N-COUNT