| 释义 |
preparation, n.|prɛpəˈreɪʃən|
[a. F. préparation (13–14th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), ad. L. præparātiōn-em, n. of action f. præparāre to prepare.]
1. a. The action of preparing, or condition of being prepared; previous putting or setting in order for any action or purpose; making or getting ready; fitting out, equipment.
1390Gower Conf. III. 133 After the preparacion Of due constellacion. 1530Palsgr. 258/1 Preparation, apareil. 1531Elyot Gov. ii. i, Nowe will I traicte of the preparation of suche personages, whan they firste receyue any great dignitie. 1601Shakes. Twel. N. iii. iv. 245 Be yare in thy preparation, for thy assaylant is quick, skilfull, and deadly. 1711Shaftesbury Charac. (1737) III. Misc. v. iii. 328 They are in use..as well for Church-Service as Closet-Preparation. a1880Gladstone in Might of Right (U.S.) 206 It is in and by freedom only, that adequate preparation for fuller freedom can be made.
b. An act or proceeding that serves to prepare for something; usually in pl.: Things done by way of making ready for something; preparatory actions, proceedings, or measures.
1560Bible (Genev.) Prov. xvi. 1 The preparations of the heart are in man: but the answer of the tongue is of the Lord. 1687A. Lovell tr. Thevenot's Trav. i. 233 On Thursday..we went to Boulac, to see the preparations that were making for the cutting of the Khalis. 1725De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 38, I..made mighty preparations for the feast. 1856Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) II. vii. 143 The preparations for the marriage were commenced. Mod. A good life here is the best preparation for a future life.
c. The action of getting ready a lesson, speech, etc., by preliminary study; spec. the preparing of lessons, as a part of the routine of school work (in school slang abbreviated prep: see prep 1).
1862[‘Used at Clifton College, from the beginning, the boys..calling it Prep.’ (Bp. Percival.)] 1875A. R. Hope My Schoolboy Fr. 181, I had to go downstairs to preparation. 1879Lubbock Addr. Pol. & Educ. iii. 52 As regards..hours of work per week, I found that, including preparation they might be taken as not less than thirty eight. Mod. One of the Assistant Masters who took preparation in the Long Class-room. 1914‘I. Hay’ Lighter Side School Life iv. 114 A prefect..awarded both signallers fifty lines for creating a disturbance in Preparation. 1971Black Scholar Jan. 64/1 (Advt.), Teaching load each semester is 7 to 8 hours with two preparations.
2. The action or special process of putting something into proper condition for use; preparatory treatment; working or making up; dressing and serving up (of food); composition, manufacture (of a chemical, medicinal, or other substance); drawing up (of a document).
1495Trevisa's Barth. De P.R. vi. xx. n iv b/1 In meete preparacion [Bodl. MS. greiþing] gooth tofore and thenne comyth chewynge. 1615Crooke Body of Man 474 The Animall spirit is generated of the vitall spirit and the aire breathed in; whose preparation is in the labyrinthian webs of the small arteries, & in the vpper or forward ventricles. 1663Boyle Usef. Exp. Nat. Philos. ii. App. 363 The Easinesse of the preparation..will much indear it [a medicine] to me. 1856Miller Elem. Chem. II. 625 Owing to the unstable character of the binoxide of hydrogen (HO2), its preparation is attended with great difficulty. 1863H. Cox Instit. iii. v. 657 The preparation..of Bills and Orders in Council. 1865Livingstone Zambesi xxvi. 544 Another part of the work of women is in the preparation of beer. 1895Bookman Oct. 15/1 A new edition is in active preparation.
3. concr.
a. That which is prepared for any action, esp. for warfare; an equipment; a force or fleet fitted out for attack or defence; an armament. ? Obs.
1583–4Reg. Privy Council Scot. III. 639 How far his Hienes munitioun houssis, ordinance, cairtis, and utheris preparationis of weir, ar demountid and decayit. 1599Shakes. Hen. V, ii. iv. 18 Defences, Musters, Preparations Should be maintain'd, assembled, and collected. 1604― Oth. i. iii. 221 The Turke with a most mighty Preparation makes for Cyprus. 1781Gibbon Decl. & F. xxxvi. (1869) II. 327 The preparations of three years were destroyed in a single day. 1781Jefferson Corr. Wks. 1859 I. 303 Their preparation of boats is considerable.
b. Spinning. (See quot.)
1851L. D. B. Gordon in Art Jrnl. Illustr. Catal. p. iv **/2, 160 pounds [of wool] constitute a preparation, which is confined to a given set of cards, drawers, and roving frames. One man superintends four such preparations.
†4. A personal capacity gained by previous instruction or training; an accomplishment. Obs.
1598Shakes. Merry W. ii. ii. 237 You are a gentleman of excellent breeding, admirable discourse,..generally allow'd for your many war-like, court-like, and learned preparations.
†5. An introduction, preface (to a book, etc.).
1526Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 1 The two first [books] be but as prefaces, preparacyons and declaracyons to the thyrde boke. 1646Suckling's Poems Pref. 1 While Sucklin's name is in the forehead of this Book, these Poems can want no preparation.
6. concr.
a. A substance specially prepared, or made up for its appropriate use or application, e.g. as food or medicine, or in the arts or sciences.
1646Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. i. vii. 28 The Chymistes..overmagnifying their preparations. 1732Arbuthnot Rules of Diet in Aliments, etc. 263 Express'd Oils of ripe Vegetables, and all Preparations of such. 1828Scott F.M. Perth xxviii, There were also various preparations of milk which..were eaten out of similar vessels. 1836J. M. Gully Magendie's Formul. (ed. 2) 25 The most commonly used preparations of opium. 1875H. C. Wood Therap. (1879) 17 A chapter on preparations, with directions for their manufacture. 1960Harper's Bazaar Oct. 117/2 The..unfussy packaging of men's preparations. 1964New Statesman 6 Mar. 354/1 In this country a doctor can prescribe from a list of about 5,000 ‘preparations’, mostly mixtures of drugs. 1972Guardian 7 Nov. 11/3 The Vichy preparations include complete ranges of cleansers, toners, moisturisers, night creams.
b. A specimen of a natural object specially prepared or treated for some scientific purpose; esp. an animal body or part of one prepared for dissection, or preserved for examination.
1753Chambers Cycl. Supp. s.v. Insects, Those [animals] which so elegantly eat away the fleshy parts from the injected anatomical preparations. a1862Buckle Civiliz. (1869) III. v. 433 It contained upwards of 10,000 preparations illustrative of the phenomena of nature.
7. The acts or observances preliminary to the celebration of the Jewish sabbath or other festival; hence transf. (= day of preparation) the day before the sabbath or other festival.
1557N.T. (Genev.) Matt. xxvii. 62 The next day that folowed the day of Preparation of the Sabbath [µετὰ τὴν παρασκευήν; 1539 (Great) the daye of preparinge, 1611 the day of the preparation]. 1611Bible John xix. 14 And it was the preparation of the Passeouer. Ibid. 31. 1625 T. Godwin Moses & Aaron (1641) 99 In old time they proclaimed the Preparation with noise of Trumpets, or hornes.
8. In devotional use: The action of preparing for Holy Communion; a set of prayers used before a celebration by the officiant and his ministers, or by a person intending to communicate; also, the first part of the Communion Office.
1650Jer. Taylor Holy Living iv. §10 (heading) A Prayer of Preparation or Address to the Holy Sacrament. 1855Procter Hist. Bk. Com. Prayer ii. iii. 334 [The Office of Holy Communion] consists of three general divisions: the Preparation, the Office itself, and the service of Thanksgiving. The first part of the Preparation incites the whole congregation to the exercise of repentance, by the Lord's Prayer, the Collect for purity, and the Ten Commandments. 1880Scudamore in Dict. Chr. Antiq. 1060/2 This occurs in a prayer or preparation said before the priest places himself at the altar in the liturgy of St. James. 1885Before the Altar 30 In using the prayers of preparation. 1890Bp. W. Walsham How Holy Communion i. 21 The following Prayer on the Passion may..be used during the preparation on Friday.
9. Mus. The preparing of a discord: see prepare v. 8 a. Opposed to percussion and resolution.
1727–41Chambers Cycl. s.v. Discord, These Discords are introduced into the harmony with due preparation, and must be succeeded by concords; which is commonly called the resolution of the Discord. 1869Ouseley Conterp. v. 24 The resolution of one dissonance may serve as the preparation for the next. 1877Stainer Harmony vii. §91 The note of preparation is generally heard in the same part as the dissonant note.
10. attrib. and Comb.: (sense 1 c) preparation book; (sense 8) preparation sermon; preparation day: see 7.
1896E. Turner Little Larrikin viii. 76 The diminution of the pile of *preparation books.
1693Dryden Juvenal vi. (1697) 145 But e're she sup, Swallows a swinging *Preparation-Cup; And then to clear her Stomach, spews it up.
1557N.T. (Genev.) John xix. 42 There then layd they Iesus, because of the Iews *Preparation day [so 1611; 1539 (Great) the preparing of the Sabbath of the Iewes]. 1683J. Mason Hymn, ‘My Lord, my Love was crucified’, These are my preparation days.
1843Knickerbocker XXI. 261 On the very day of the *preparation sermon at Tinnecum, a number of young persons were assembled.
Hence † prepaˈration v. intr. (Obs. nonce-wd.), to make preparations.
1770F. Burney Early Diary 10 Jan., All Monday we passed in preparationing for the evening. |