ready

1 adjective

1 PREPARED (not before noun) prepared for what you are going to do: Come on. Aren't you ready yet? | ready to do sth: Everything's packed, and we're ready to leave.

(+ for): I don't want to take the test yet; I'm not ready for it. | get ready: I need about half an hour to get ready, so I'll see you at six. | make ready formal (=prepare to start doing something) | ready for anything: I felt strong, fit, and ready for anything. | ready and waiting: When the right opportunity came, she was ready and waiting. | ready for (the) off spoken (=ready to go somewhere): Right, I'm ready for the off. | when you're ready spoken (=used to tell someone that you are ready for them to start doing something) | ready when you are spoken (=used to tell someone that you are ready to do what you have arranged to do together) | ready to roll spoken (=ready to start an activity, journey etc)

2 FOR IMMEDIATE USE (not before noun) something that is ready can be used or eaten immediately: When will supper be ready? | The peaches are ripe and ready to eat.

(+ for): Is everything ready for the exhibition? | get sth ready: We must get the house ready for the new tenants. | have sth ready: Next time, I had my answer ready. | ready cooked/mixed etc (=already cooked or mixed, and ready to be eaten or used)

3 be ready for a drink/meal/holiday etc spoken to need or want a drink, meal etc as soon as possible: You must be ready for a drink after all that hard work.

4 be ready to cry/drop etc informal to be so upset or tired that you feel you will cry, fall down etc: By the end of that walk, we were ready to drop.

5 WILLING willing and quick to do or give something

(+ with): She's always ready with an excuse. | ready to do sth: You're too ready to criticize. | They were wonderful neighbours - always ready to help in a crisis.

6 QUICK (only before noun) quick or without delay: a ready answer | This system gives readier access to the data. | a ready wit (=the ability to think quickly of clever, amusing things to say)

7 ready money/cash money that can be spent at once in coins or notes: He was only willing to sell it for ready cash.

8 ready, steady, go! BrE spoken used to tell people to start a race

—see also: readily, readiness, rough and ready rough 1 (12) 2 noun

1 at the ready especially BrE available to be used immediately: The crowd stood around, cameras at the ready.

2 the readies BrE slang money that is available to be used immediately: I'm trying to scrape together the readies to pay for a trip to Hong Kong.

3 verb (T) formal to make something ready