prefabricate (v.)

"manufacture in a factory prior to assembly on site," 1919 (implied in prefabricated), from pre- + fabricate (v.). Related: Prefabricating.

Entries linking to prefabricate

pre-

word-forming element meaning "before," from Old French pre- and Medieval Latin pre-, both from Latin prae (adverb and preposition) "before in time or place," from PIE *peri- (source also of Oscan prai, Umbrian pre, Sanskrit pare "thereupon," Greek parai "at," Gaulish are- "at, before," Lithuanian prie "at," Old Church Slavonic pri "at," Gothic faura, Old English fore "before"), extended form of root *per- (1) "forward," hence "beyond, in front of, before."

The Latin word was active in forming verbs. Also see prae-. Sometimes in Middle English muddled with words in pro- or per-.

fabricate (v.)

mid-15c., "to fashion, make, build," from Latin fabricatus, past participle of fabricare "to make, construct, fashion, build," from fabrica (see fabric). In bad sense of "tell a lie (etc.)," it is recorded by 1779. Related: Fabricated; fabricating.

prefab (adj.)

"manufactured in a factory prior to assembly on site," 1937, short for prefabricated "made by assembling large components made elsewhere," originally of housing (see prefabricate). As a noun, "prefabricated housing," from 1942.

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Definitions of prefabricate

prefabricate (v.)

to manufacture sections of (a building), especially in a factory, so that they can be easily transported to and rapidly assembled on a building site of buildings;

Synonyms: preassemble

prefabricate (v.)

produce synthetically, artificially, or stereotypically and unoriginally;

From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near prefabricate

pre-exilic

pre-exist

pre-existence

pre-existing

prefab

prefabricate

preface

prefatory

prefect

prefectural

prefecture