cater

• POS: Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: ca=ter

CIDE DICTIONARY

cater, n. [OE. catour purchaser, caterer, OF. acator, fr. acater, F. acheter, to buy, provide, fr. LL. accaptare; L. ad + captare to strive, to seize, intens, of capere to take, seize. Cf. Acater, Capacious.].

 A provider; a purveyor; a caterer.  Chaucer.  [1913 Webster]

cater, v. i. [From Cater, n.].

•  To provide food; to buy, procure, or prepare provisions.  [1913 Webster]

  "[He] providently caters for the sparrow."  [1913 Webster]
•  By extension: To supply what is needed or desired, at theatrical or musical entertainments; -- followed by for or to.  [1913 Webster]

cater, n. [F. quatre four.].

 The four of cards or dice.  [1913 Webster]

cater, v. t. 

 To cut diagonally.  Halliwell.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

cater, v.intr.
1 supply food.
2 (foll. by for) a provide meals for. b provide entertainment for.
3 (foll. by to) pander to (evil inclinations).

Etymology

obs. noun cater (now caterer), f. acater f. AF acatour buyer f. acater buy f. Rmc

THESAURUS

cater

baby, bunker, coal, coddle, cosset, dance attendance on, feed, fill up, forage, fuel, gas, gas up, humor, indulge, minister to, mollycoddle, oil, pamper, pander to, provender, provide, provision, purvey, sell, serve, spoil, top off, victual

ROGET THESAURUS

cater

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.