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Added 9 October 2026

ready

/ˈɹɛd.i/ noun

In Latin: aptus, parātus, promptus Wiktionary

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about ready at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Poised for action.
their guns were at the ready

verb

Prepare for eating by applying heat.
Cook me dinner, please
Make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc.
Get the children ready for school!

adjective

Completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress.
get ready
(of especially money) immediately available.
he seems to have ample ready money
Mentally disposed.
he was ready to believe her

Origin

From Middle English redy, redi, rædiȝ, iredi, ȝerǣdi, alteration ( + -y) of earlier irēd, irede, ȝerād (“ready, prepared”), from Old English rǣde, ġerǣde (also ġerȳde) ("prepared, prompt, ready, ready for riding (horse), mounted (on a horse), skilled, simple, easy"), from Proto-Germanic *garaidijaz, *raidijaz, from base *raidaz (“ready”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂reh₁dʰ-, *h₂reh₁- (“to count, put in order, arrange, make comfortable”) and also probably conflated with Proto-Indo-European *reydʰ- (“to ride”) in the sense of "set to ride, able or fit to go, ready".

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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