victual

[ vit-l ]
See synonyms for: victualvictualedvictualingvictualled on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. victuals, food supplies; provisions.

  2. food or provisions for human beings.

verb (used with object),vict·ualed, vict·ual·ing or (especially British) vict·ualled, vict·ual·ling.
  1. to supply with victuals.

verb (used without object),vict·ualed, vict·ual·ing or (especially British) vict·ualled, vict·ual·ling.
  1. to take or obtain victuals.

  2. Archaic. to eat or feed.

Origin of victual

1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English vitaille, from Anglo-French, Middle French vitail(l)e, Old French vituaille, from Late Latin victuālia “provisions,” noun use of neuter plural of Latin victuālis “pertaining to food,” equivalent to victu(s) “nourishment, way of living” (vic-, variant stem of vīvere “to live” + -tus suffix of verb action) + -ālis -al1; modern spelling from Latin
  • Also Nonstandard, vit·tle .

Other words from victual

  • vict·ual·less, adjective
  • re·vict·ual, verb, re·vict·ualed, re·vict·ual·ing or (especially British) re·vict·ualled, re·vict·ual·ling.
  • un·vic·tualed, un·vic·tualled, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use victual in a sentence

  • There was one which read Scheep's Victualij, which Mr. George said must mean victualling for ships.

    Rollo in Holland | Jacob Abbott
  • To the office all the afternoon upon victualling business, and late at it, so after I wrote by the post to my father, I home.

  • After dinner won a wager of a payre of gloves of a crowne of Mr. Gauden upon some words in his contract for victualling.

  • Then broke up and Mr. Alsop and his company came and consulted about our Tangier victualling and brought it to a good head.

  • It seems poor Mr. Daniel is dead of the Victualling Office, a place too good for this puppy to follow him in.

British Dictionary definitions for victual

victual

/ (ˈvɪtəl) /


verb-uals, -ualling or -ualled or US -uals, -ualing or -ualed
  1. to supply with or obtain victuals

  2. (intr) rare (esp of animals) to partake of victuals

Origin of victual

1
C14: from Old French vitaille, from Late Latin victuālia provisions, from Latin victuālis concerning food, from victus sustenance, from vīvere to live

Derived forms of victual

  • victual-less, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012