prefabricate

American

[pree-fab-ri-keyt] / priˈfæb rɪˌkeɪt /

verb (used with object)

prefabricated, prefabricating

to fabricate or construct beforehand.
to manufacture in standardized parts or sections ready for quick assembly and erection, as buildings.

prefabricate British

/ priːˈfæbrɪˌkeɪt /

verb

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

prefabricated adjective
prefabrication noun
prefabricator noun
unprefabricated adjective

Etymology

Origin of prefabricate

First recorded in 1930–35; pre- + fabricate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The tower crane also allows the crews to prefabricate some things on the ground, such as steel cages that are then hoisted up and set in place, Collins said.

From Washington Times • Sep. 19, 2016

By using automatic welding machines to prefabricate sections and then moving the sections into place with Chinese-designed cranes, the yard has cut building time on a ship from one year to seven months.

From Time Magazine Archive

Consolidated would prefabricate ships in the plant at Maywood, trans port parts 22 mi. by truck and assemble them in yards at Wilmington and Long Beach.

From Time Magazine Archive

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023