Definition of "preheat" [preheat]

• To heat (an oven, for example) beforehand. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The author's oven, apparently, doesn't have a "preheat" setting that tells you when your oven has reached temperature."
• "But first, a few things to keep in mind for cooking chicken: Take the time to preheat the skillet as directed by recipes."
• "How to clean the grill: Light the grill, close the lid and let it preheat to 500 degrees or so."