preform

1 of 2

verb

pre·​form ˈprē-ˌfȯrm How to pronounce preform (audio)
(ˌ)prē-ˈfȯrm
preformed; preforming; preforms

transitive verb

1
: to form or shape beforehand
2
: to bring to approximate preliminary shape and size

preform

2 of 2

noun

pre·​form ˈprē-ˌfȯrm How to pronounce preform (audio)
plural preforms
: any of various objects of manufacture or handicraft after preliminary shaping: such as
a
: a rough gemstone that has been cut to approximately its finished size and shape
b
: a tube produced for the purpose of being molded into a particular form (such as a bottle)

Examples of preform in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
At halftime, Beyoncé will take the stage, preforming tracks from her 2024 album Cowboy Carter live for the first time, along with special guest appearances. Juliana Kim, NPR, 21 Dec. 2024 After leaving the Bee Gees, Bryon moved to Nashville and began a long career as a session musician, preforming and recording with Barbra Streisand, Kenny Rogers, Jimi Hendrix, Dave Edmunds and, more recently, The Italian Bee Gees. Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 20 Nov. 2024 However, preformed vitamin A can accumulate in the body, primarily in the liver. Jillian Kubala, Health, 16 Sep. 2024 And, oh, by-the-way, UK pop star Robbie Williams would be preforming on a stage floating next to the Yacht Club de Monaco during the event too! Bill Springer, Forbes, 11 Sep. 2024 Videos of him filling in for his dad and preforming his dad’s most beloved hits were shared on TikTok. Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 24 June 2024 Fourth, these methodological issues are compounded by messy EHR data which should be cleaned prior to preforming predictive tasks. Saurabh Gombar, STAT, 21 June 2024 Many later blooming species don’t have preformed flower buds that overwinter underground. Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 21 June 2024 One downside is that the concrete must be preformed and cannot be poured and set on site. IEEE Spectrum, 8 May 2023
Noun
Inside the facility, a rotary forge turns red-hot preform hunks of steel and alloy, using mechanical hammers to draw out precise shapes and contours. Hope Hodge Seck, Popular Mechanics, 21 Aug. 2023 In a nutshell, researchers placed hundreds of square silicon microscale digital chips into a preform that created a polymer fiber. Eric Tegler, Forbes, 17 June 2021

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin praeformare, from prae- + formare to form, from forma form

First Known Use

Verb

1601, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1931, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of preform was in 1601

Dictionary Entries Near preform

Cite this Entry

“Preform.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preform. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on preform

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!