See Also: preparatory(dictionary)
preparatory(dictionary)
preparatory school(encyclopedia)
preparatory school(dictionary)

preparatory (iou)



preparatory adjective, noun, & adverb. LME.
[Late Latin praeparatorius, from Latin praeparat-: see PREPARATION, -ORY1, -ORY2.]
A. adjective. That prepares or serves to prepare for something following; preliminary, introductory. LME.
preparatory school in Britain, a junior school in which pupils are prepared for public school; in the US, a usu. private school in which pupils are prepared for college entrance.
b. noun.
In pl. A (military) vanguard. Only in LME.
= PREPARATIVE noun 1. L15-E19.
A preparatory school. E20.
C. adverb. In or by way of preparation; as a preliminary. Foll. by to. M17.
D. Hammett Cutting up the body preparatory to eating it. B. Montgomery As we were circling the airfield preparatory to landing the engine cut out.
preparatorily adverb M17.