readymade
or read·y-made
[ red-ee-meyd ]
/ ˈrɛd iˈmeɪd /
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noun
an everyday manufactured object, as a bottle rack, a snow shovel, a urinal, or a comb, that may by the creative act of selection and designation by an artist attain status as a work of art: associated almost exclusively with the aesthetic activities of Marcel Duchamp during the period 1915 to 1917.
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Set some time apart to test your bracket symbol knowledge, and see if you can keep your parentheses, squares, curlies, and angles all straight!
Question 1 of 7
Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT Origin of readymade
<French <English; term introduced by Duchamp in 1915
Words nearby readymade
read the riot act, read-through, read up, read/write head, ready, readymade, ready-mix, ready money, ready reckoner, ready room, ready-to-wear
Definition for readymade (2 of 2)
ready-made
[ red-ee-meyd ]
/ ˈrɛd iˈmeɪd /
adjective
made in advance for sale to any purchaser, rather than to order: a ready-made coat.
made for immediate use.
unoriginal; conventional.
noun
something that is ready-made, as a garment or a piece of furniture or equipment.
Origin of ready-made
late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for readymade
British Dictionary definitions for readymade
ready-made
adjective
made for purchase and immediate use by any customera ready-made jacket
extremely convenient or ideally suiteda ready-made solution
unoriginal or conventionalready-made phrases
noun
a ready-made article, esp a garment
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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