prefab
prefab Lexical Profile
prefab Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Manufactured in standardized sections beforehand so that it can be easily shipped and assembled on-site.
"The construction crew erected the prefab garage in less than two days."
• noun
A building or house manufactured in standardized sections at a factory for rapid assembly on a construction site.
"Many families lived in post-war prefabs while permanent brick houses were being rebuilt."
• verb
To manufacture standardized sections of a structure or component in advance for quick assembly at a final location.
"The carpentry shop decided to prefab the wall panels indoors to avoid weather delays."
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the 1930s as a clipped form of 'prefabricated' or 'prefabrication', the term gained widespread use in the United Kingdom and the United States during and immediately after World War II to describe mass-produced temporary housing.