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cater

[ key-ter ]
/ ˈkeɪ tər /
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See synonyms for: cater / catered / catering on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)
to provide food, service, etc., as for a party or wedding: to cater for a banquet.
to provide or supply what amuses, is desired, or gives pleasure, comfort, etc. (usually followed by to or for): to cater to popular demand; to cater to an invalid.
verb (used with object)
to provide food and service for: to cater a party.
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Origin of cater

1350–1400; v. use of obsolete cater,Middle English catour, aphetic variant of acatour buyer <Anglo-French, equivalent to acat(er) to buy (see cate) + -our-or2

OTHER WORDS FROM cater

ca·ter·ing·ly, adverbun·ca·tered, adjectiveun·ca·ter·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cater in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cater

cater
/ (ˈkeɪtə) /

verb
(intr; foll by for or to) to provide what is required or desired (for)to cater for a need; cater to your tastes
(when intr, foll by for) to provide food, services, etc (for)we cater for parties; to cater a banquet

Word Origin for cater

C16: from earlier catour purchaser, variant of acatour, from Anglo-Norman acater to buy, ultimately related to Latin acceptāre to accept
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
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