garnish
[ gahr-nish ]
/ ˈgɑr nɪʃ /
verb (used with object)
to provide or supply with something ornamental; adorn; decorate.
to provide (a food) with something that adds flavor, decorative color, etc.: to garnish boiled potatoes with chopped parsley.
Law.
- to attach (as money due or property belonging to a debtor) by garnishment; garnishee: The court garnished his wages when he refused to pay child support.
- to summon in, so as to take part in litigation already pending between others.
noun
something placed around or on a food or in a beverage to add flavor, decorative color, etc.
adornment or decoration.
Chiefly British. a fee formerly demanded of a new convict or worker by the warden, boss, or fellow prisoners or workers.
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Nearby words
garnet paper, garnetiferous, garnett, garni, garnierite, garnish, garnishee, garnishment, garniture, garofalo, garonne
Origin of garnish
1300–50; Middle English garnishen < Old French garniss- (extended stem of garnir, guarnir to furnish < Gmc); cf. warn
Related forms
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for garnish
British Dictionary definitions for garnish
garnish
/ (ˈɡɑːnɪʃ) /
verb (tr)
to decorate; trim
to add something to (food) in order to improve its appearance or flavour
law
- to serve with notice of proceedings; warn
- obsolete to summon to proceedings already in progress
- to attach (a debt)
slang to extort money from
noun
Derived Forms
garnisher, nounWord Origin for garnish
C14: from Old French garnir to adorn, equip, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German warnōn to pay heed
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