Preordering

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Arranging things into a sequence or set before they are needed ; placing a request for goods in advance so that they will be supplied later
2. Putting items into a particular order beforehand ; submitting a purchase request ahead of time so the supplier can deliver it later
3. The act of setting things in an arrangement ahead of need ; requesting goods in advance so that they are ready when wanted

Etymology: "Preordering" is simply the present participle and gerund of "preorder", which is formed from the prefix "pre-" (before) and the noun-turned-verb "order". The prefix comes into English through Latin "prae", meaning "before" or "in front of", and reached Middle English as "pre-". The base word has a longer path: "order" descends from Latin "ordinem", meaning a row, rank or arrangement, which passed through Old French "ordne" and Middle English "ordre" before becoming the English noun and verb we use today. Put together, the sense is literal: to place an order for something before it is made or released. The word is a straightforward compound, so its meaning is almost entirely carried by its two halves, a rank placed ahead of time.

Synonyms: reserve, book in advance