(~s, preparing, ~d)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
If you ~ something, you make it ready for something that is going to happen.
Two technicians were preparing a videotape recording of last week’s programme...
The crew of the Iowa has been preparing the ship for storage.
VERB: V n, V n for n
2.
If you ~ for an event or action that will happen soon, you get yourself ready for it or make the necessary arrangements.
The Party leadership is using management consultants to help ~ for the next election...
He had to go back to his hotel and ~ to catch a train for New York...
His doctor had told him to ~ himself for surgery.
VERB: V for n, V to-inf, V pron-refl for n
3.
When you ~ food, you get it ready to be eaten, for example by cooking it.
She made her way to the kitchen, hoping to find someone preparing dinner...
VERB: V n