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Webster 1913 Edition

Ready

Read′y

(rĕd′y̆)
,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Readier
(rĕd′ĭ-ẽr)
;
sup
erl.
Readiest
.]
[AS.
rǣde
; akin to D. ge
reed
, be
reid
, G. be
reit
, Goth. ga
ráids
fixed, arranged, and possibly to E.
ride
, as meaning originally, prepared for riding. Cf.
Array
, 1st
Curry
.]
1.
Prepared for what one is about to do or experience; equipped or supplied with what is needed for some act or event; prepared for immediate movement or action;
as, the troops are
ready
to march;
ready
for the journey.
“When she redy was.”
Chaucer.
2.
Fitted or arranged for immediate use; causing no delay for lack of being prepared or furnished.
“Dinner was ready.”
Fielding.
My oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are
ready
: come unto the marriage.
Matt. xxii. 4.
3.
Prepared in mind or disposition; not reluctant; willing; free; inclined; disposed.
I am
ready
not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord Jesus.
Acts xxi. 13.
If need be, I am
ready
to forego
And quit.
Milton.
4.
Not slow or hesitating; quick in action or perception of any kind; dexterous; prompt; easy; expert;
as, a
ready
apprehension;
ready
wit; a
ready
writer or workman.
“Ready in devising expedients.”
Macaulay.
Gurth, whose temper was
ready
, though surly.
Sir W. Scott.
5.
Offering itself at once; at hand; opportune; convenient; near; easy.
“The readiest way.”
Milton.
A sapling pine he wrenched from out the ground,
The
readiest
weapon that his fury found.
Dryden.
6.
On the point; about; on the brink; near; – with a following infinitive.
My heart is
ready
to crack.
Shakespeare
7.
(Mil.)
A word of command, or a position, in the manual of arms, at which the piece is cocked and held in position to execute promptly the next command, which is, aim.
All ready
,
ready in every particular; wholly equipped or prepared.
“[I] am all redy at your hest.”
Chaucer.
–
Ready money
,
means of immediate payment; cash.
“’T is all the ready money fate can give.”
Cowley.
–
Ready reckoner
,
a book of tables for facilitating computations, as of interest, prices, etc.
–
To make ready
,
to make preparation; to get in readiness.
Syn. – Prompt; expeditious; speedy; unhesitating; dexterous; apt; skillful; handy; expert; facile; easy; opportune; fitted; prepared; disposed; willing; free; cheerful. See
Prompt
.

Read′y

(rĕd′y̆)
,
adv.
In a state of preparation for immediate action; so as to need no delay.
We ourselves will go
ready
armed.
Num. xxxii. 17.

Read′y

,
Noun.
Ready money; cash; – commonly with the;
as, he was well supplied with the
ready
.
[Slang]
Lord Strut was not flush in
ready
, either to go to law, or to clear old debts.
Arbuthnot.

Read′y

,
Verb.
T.
To dispose in order.
[Obs.]
Heywood.

Webster 1828 Edition

Ready

READY

,
Adj.
red'y. [Eng. to rid; redo, ready; rida, to ride; bereda, to prepare. Gr. easy. The primary sense is to go, move, or advance forward, and it seems to be clear that ready, ride, read, riddle, are all of one family, and probably from the root of L. gradior. See Read and Red.]
1.
Quick; prompt; not hesitating; as ready wit; a ready consent.
2.
Quick to receive or comprehend; not slow or dull; as a ready apprehension.
3.
Quick in action or execution; dextrous; as an artist ready in his business; a ready writer. Ps. 45.
4.
Prompt; not delayed present in hand. He makes ready payment; he pays ready money for every thing he buys.
5.
Prepared; fitted; furnished with what is necessary, or disposed in a manner suited to the purpose; as a ship ready for sea.
My oxen and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Matt 22.
6.
Willing; free; cheerful to do or suffer; not backward or reluctant; as a prince always ready to grant the reasonable requests of his subjects.
The spirit is ready, but the flesh is weak. Mark 14.
I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 21.
7.
Willing; disposed. Men are generally ready to impute blame to others. They are more ready to give than to take reproof.
8.
Being at the point; near; not distant; about to do or suffer.
A Syrian ready to perish was my father. Deut. 26. Job 29. Ps. 88.
9.
Being nearest or at hand.
A sapling pine he wrench'd from out the ground, the readiest weapon that his fury found.
10.
Easy; facile; opportune; short; near, or most convenient; the Greek sense.
Sometimes the readiest way which a wise man has to conquer, is to flee.
Through the wild desert, not the readiest way.
The ready way to be thought mad, is to contend you are not so.
1.
To make ready, to prepare; to provide and put in order.
2.
An elliptical phrase, for make things ready; to make preparations; to prepare.

READY

,
adv.
red'y. In a state of preparation, so as to need no delay.
We ourselves will go ready armed before the house of Israel. Num. 32.

READY

,
Noun.
red'y. For ready money.
Lord Strut was not flush in ready, either to go to law, or to clear old debts. [A low word.]

READY

,
Verb.
T.
red'y. To dispose in order; to prepare. [Not in use.]

Definition 2024

ready

ready

English

Adjective

ready ‎(comparative readier, superlative readiest)

  1. Prepared for immediate action or use.
    The troops are ready for battle.  The porridge is ready to serve.‎
  2. Inclined; apt to happen.
  3. Liable at any moment.
    The seed is ready to sprout.‎
  4. Not slow or hesitating; quick in action or perception of any kind; dexterous; prompt; easy; expert.
    a ready apprehension;  ready wit;  a ready writer or workman‎
    • Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)
      […] whose temper was ready, through surly
    • Thomas Macaulay (1800-1859)
      ready in devising expedients
    • 1879, Richard Jefferies, The Amateur Poacher, chapter1:
      Molly the dairymaid came a little way from the rickyard, and said she would pluck the pigeon that very night after work. She was always ready to do anything for us boys; and we could never quite make out why they scolded her so for an idle hussy indoors. It seemed so unjust. Looking back, I recollect she had very beautiful brown eyes.
    • 2013 August 10, Lexington, “Keeping the mighty honest”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:
      The [Washington] Post's proprietor through those turbulent [Watergate] days, Katharine Graham, held a double place in Washington’s hierarchy: at once regal Georgetown hostess and scrappy newshound, ready to hold the establishment to account.
  5. Offering itself at once; at hand; opportune; convenient.
    • John Milton (1608-1674)
      the readiest way
    • John Dryden (1631-1700)
      A sapling pine he wrenched from out the ground, / The readiest weapon that his fury found.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Translations

Verb

ready ‎(third-person singular simple present readies, present participle readying, simple past and past participle readied)

  1. To make prepared for action.

Translations

Hypernyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Related terms

Noun

ready ‎(countable and uncountable, plural readies)

  1. (slang) ready money; cash
    • Arbuthnot
      Lord Strut was not flush in ready, either to go to law, or to clear old debts.

Translations

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: common · subject · can't · #441: ready · ought · written · arms

Anagrams

Etymology

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 *rēydʰ-, *rēy- ‎(“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". Cognate with Scots readie, reddy ‎(“ready, prepared”), West Frisian ree ‎(“ready”), Dutch gereed ‎(“ready”), German bereit ‎(“ready”), Danish rede ‎(“ready”), Swedish redo ‎(“ready, fit, prepared”), Icelandic greiður ‎(“easy, light”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐍂𐌰𐌹𐌸𐍃 ‎(garaiþs, “arranged, ordered”).

Pronunciation

  • enPR: rĕd'i, IPA(key): /ˈɹɛdi/
  • Homophones: reddy
    Rhymes: -ɛdi
  • Hyphenation: read‧y

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