purvey

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: pur=vey

CIDE DICTIONARY

purvey, v. t. [OE. purveien, porveien, OF. porveeir, porveoir, F. pourvoir, fr. L. providere. See Provide, and cf. Purview.].

•  To furnish or provide, as with a convenience, provisions, or the like.  [1913 Webster]

  "Give no odds to your foes, but do purvey
  Yourself of sword before that bloody day."  [1913 Webster]
•  To procure; to get.  [1913 Webster]

  "I mean to purvey me a wife after the fashion of the children of Benjamin."  [1913 Webster]

purvey, v. i. 

•  To purchase provisions; to provide; to make provision.  Chaucer. Milton.  [1913 Webster]
•  To pander; -- with to.  Burke.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

purvey, v.
1 tr. provide or supply (articles of food) as one's business.
2 intr. (often foll. by for) a make provision. b act as supplier.

Derivative

purveyor n.

Etymology

ME f. AF purveier, OF porveiir f. L providere PROVIDE

ROGET THESAURUS

purvey

Provision

VB provide, make provision, make due provision for, lay in, lay in a stock, lay in a store, supply, suppeditate, furnish, find, find one in, arm, cater, victual, provision, purvey, forage, beat up for, stock, stock with, make good, replenish, fill, fill up, recruit, feed, have in store, have in reserve, keep, keep by one, keep on foot, keep on hand, have to fall back upon, store, provide against a rainy day.

Food

VB eat, feed, fare, devour, swallow, take, gulp, bolt, snap, fall to, despatch, dispatch, discuss, take down, get down, gulp down, lay in, tuck in, lick, pick, peck, gormandize, bite, champ, munch, cranch, craunch, crunch, chew, masticate, nibble, gnaw, mumble, live on, feed upon, batten upon, fatten upon, feast upon, browse, graze, crop, regale, carouse, eat heartily, do justice to, play a good knife and fork, banquet, break bread, break one's fast, breakfast, lunch, dine, take tea, sup, drink in, drink up, drink one's fill, quaff, sip, sup, suck, suck up, lap, swig, swill, chugalug, tipple, empty one's glass, drain the cup, toss off, toss one's glass, wash down, crack a bottle, wet one's whistle, purvey.