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ticular purpose, use, service, or condition; previous arrangement or adaptation; a making ready; as, the preparation of land for a crop of wheat; the preparation of troops for a campaign.

Tending to prepare or make ready; having the power of preparing, qualifying, or fitting; preparatory. Laborious quest of knowledge preparative to this work. South.

To fit, adapt, or qualify for a particular purpose or condition; to make ready; to put into a state for use or application; as, to prepare ground for seed; to prepare a lesson. Our souls, not yet prepared for upper light. Dryden.

Made fit or suitable; adapted; ready; as, prepared food; prepared questions. -- Pre*par"ed*ly, adv. Shak. -- Pre*par"ed*ness, n.

One who, or that which, prepares, fits, or makes ready. Wood.

Preoccupation of the mind by an opinion, or impression, already formed; preconceived opinion; previous impression; bias; -- generally, but not always, used in a favorable sense; as, the prepossessions of childhood. "The prejudices and prepossessions of the country." Sir W. Scott.

Ready; quick in emergency; as a present wit. [R.]

Ready; quick; immediate in effect; as, presentaneous poison. [Obs.] Harvey.

Ready; prompt; prepared. [Obs.] All prest to such battle he was. R. of Gloucester.

nfluence derived from past success; expectation of future achievements founded on those already accomplished; force or charm derived from acknowledged character or reputation. "The prestige of his name must go for something." Sir G. C. Lewis.

ilty. Blackstone. What rests but that the mortal sentence pass, . . . Which he presumes already vain and void, Because not yet inflicted Milton.

One who believes the prophecies of the Apocalypse to have been already fulfilled. Farrar.

To be beforehand with; to anticipate. [Obs.] Their ready guilt preventing thy commands. Pope.

ce, a person given up as a victim. The old lion perisheth for lack of prey. Job iv. ii. Already sees herself the monster's prey. Dryden.

To prepare; to make ready; to instruct beforehand; to post; to coach; as, to prime a witness; the boys are primed for mischief. [Colloq.] Thackeray.

Ready and quick to act as occasion demands; meeting requirements readily; not slow, dilatory, or hesitating in decision or action; responding on the instant; immediate; as, prompt in obedience or compliance; -- said of persons. Very discerning and prompt in giving orders. Clarendon. Tell him I am prompt To lay my crown…

shoots or plants; as, rabbits propagate rapidly. No need that thou Should'st propagate, already infinite. Milton.

To look out for in advance; to procure beforehand; to get, collect, or make ready for future use; to prepare. "Provide us all things necessary." Shak.

The act of providing or preparing for future use or application; a making ready; preparation. Providence for war is the best prevention of it. Bacon.

intervening. -- Proximate principle (Physiol. Chem.), one of a class of bodies existing ready formed in animal and vegetable tissues, and separable by chemical analysis, as albumin, sugar, collagen, fat, etc.