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.
Origin of garnish
1300–50;Middle Englishgarnishen < Old Frenchgarniss- (extended stem of garnir, guarnir to furnish < Gmc); cf. warn
Related formsgar·nish·a·ble, adjectivegar·nish·er, nouno·ver·gar·nish, verb (used with object)re·gar·nish, verb (used with object)un·der·gar·nish, verb (used with object)un·gar·nished, adjectivewell-gar·nished, adjective
late 14c., from Old French garniss-, present participle stem of garnir "provide, furnish; fortify, reinforce," from a Germanic stem related to Proto-Germanic *warnejan "be cautious, guard, provide for" (cf. Old High German warnon "to take heed," Old English warnian "to take warning, beware;" see warn). Sense evolution is from "arm oneself" to "fit out" to "embellish," which was the earliest meaning in English, though the others also were used in Middle English. Culinary sense of "to decorate a dish for the table" predominated after c.1700. Older meaning survives in legal sense of "warning of attachment of funds" (1570s). Related: Garnished; garnishing.
n.
late 14c., "set of tableware" (probably a dozen; usually pewter), from garnish (v.). Sense of "embellishments to food" is from 1670s.
