Meaning & use
prep time
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
The time needed to get ingredients or materials ready before the main cooking or work begins.
Grammar: Usually uncountable: prep time is ten minutes.
Patterns
- prep time of something
- prep time for something
The recipe lists a prep time of fifteen minutes.
Chopping all the vegetables doubles the prep time.
Good tools can cut your prep time in half.
noununcountableinformal
A period set aside for getting ready for a lesson, meeting or event.
Grammar: Uncountable: they get an hour of prep time.
Patterns
- prep time before something
Teachers get an hour of prep time each day.
The band needs prep time before the show begins.
We scheduled thirty minutes of prep time before the meeting.
Common combinations
- short prep time
- This pasta has a short prep time.
- cut prep time
- Pre-chopped onions cut prep time.
- prep time and cook time
- The label gives the prep time and cook time.
- allow prep time
- Allow some prep time for the sauce.
- minimal prep time
- These muffins take minimal prep time.
Synonyms and how they differ
- preparation time
- Preparation time is the full, more formal phrase for prep time.
- lead time
- Lead time means the delay between ordering and receiving something, so it is not about getting ready yourself.
- setup time
- Setup time describes getting equipment or a space ready, whereas prep time is also used for ingredients and planning.
Opposites
Word family
- prep noun
- short for preparation
- prep verb
- to get something ready
- preparation noun
- the act of getting ready
- prepare verb
- to make ready
Commonly confused: prep time or cook time?
prep time vs cook time
Cook time is how long food spends being cooked, while prep time is the work done before cooking starts.
Practice
A recipe says: 'Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 30 minutes.' What does prep time mean here?
Choose one answer.
Prep time is the work done before cooking begins, such as chopping. The oven time is the cook time, which is why the third option is wrong.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “prep time”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.