aliment

American  

[al-uh-muhnt, al-uh-ment] / ˈæl ə mənt, ˈæl əˌmɛnt /

noun

1. that which nourishes; nutriment; food.

   Synonyms:

   sustenance, nourishment

2. that which sustains; means of support.

   Synonyms:

   sustenance

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verb (used with object)

1. to sustain; support.

aliment British  

noun

1. something that nourishes or sustains the body or mind

2. Scots law another term for alimony

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verb

1. obsolete (tr) to support or sustain

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• alimental
  adjective
• alimentally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of aliment

1470–80; < Latin alimentum, equivalent to al ( ere ) to feed + -i- -i- + -mentum -ment

Explanation

Aliment is an old-fashioned word for "food" or "nourishment." If you go to a party expecting to be fed dinner, it'll be a big disappointment to realize there's no aliment at all, not even a bowl of chips! At first glance, aliment looks like ailment, but it's not a typo! This word, derived from the Latin alimentum, or "nourishment," was widely used in the 18th and 19th centuries. It's both a noun and a verb, so people could have said, "I haven't eaten since yesterday — I need aliment!" and also "Here, let this soup aliment you." Today, we're more likely to hear about the alimentary canal, our body's long digestive tube.