caterer

American  

[kay-ter-er] / ˈkeɪ tər ər /

noun

• caterers
  plural

1. one whose business is to provide food, supplies, and sometimes service at social gatherings.

2. one who caters.

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caterer British  

/ ˈkeɪtərə /

noun

1. a person who caters, esp one who as a profession provides food for large social events, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• caterers
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of caterer

First recorded in 1585–95; cater + -er ¹

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

caterer caterers

“I get requests for kosher catering, and I refer all of them to an actual kosher caterer in the area,” he says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

Pizza popped up as often as pate on plates, while one caterer from La Reunion has won social media adulation for his gifts of cari, a spicy dish popular on the Indian Ocean island.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

The phone numbers on the website are also currently listed online as the contacts for a Houston baklava caterer, a Dallas-area taxi service and an OB-GYN office.

From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026

The Charlotte Russe is a specialty of my mother, a former caterer who helped run New York’s Hard Rock Café in the ’70s.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2026

A caterer would be circulating with appetizers on silver trays while Dad hid in the kitchen to avoid socializing.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

The raids also affected small businesses orbiting around quinceañeras: makers of embossed invitations, sellers of tiaras and crowns, choreographers, caterers, florists and more.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026

“Studio lots like this one used to be filled with people, costumers, electricians, set medics, caterers, thousands of Angelenos making a living,” she says in the video posted on social media.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 17, 2026

The company changed its name to Restaurant Depot in the 1990s and started serving more food operators across the U.S. including caterers, pizzerias and delis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026

Ch Insp Craig Still, area commander for Inverness - where about 20 thefts have been reported between April and October - said the thefts could result in several problems for caterers.

From BBC ● Feb. 12, 2026

Adina’s father had come to America as a refugee, and, within a few years, had become one of the top kosher caterers in Gravesend.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

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