provender

American  

[prov-uhn-der] / ˈprɒv ən dər /

noun

1. dry food, as hay or oats, for livestock or other domestic animals; fodder.

2. food; provisions.

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provender British  

/ ˈprɒvɪndə /

noun

1. any dry feed or fodder for domestic livestock

2. food in general

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Related Words

See feed.

Etymology

Origin of provender

1275–1325; Middle English provendre, from Old French, variant of provende “prebend, provender,” from Medieval Latin prōbenda, alteration of praebenda prebend, perhaps by association with Latin prōvidēre “to look out for, provide ”

Explanation

Provender is food that might not be fancy but it keeps you from going hungry, like the long-time provender of college students: rice, pasta, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and the occasional discount pizza. The noun provender comes from the Latin word praebenda, meaning "things to be furnished or provided." Provender is a supply of food meant to sustain people, like a hearty stew that is lunch for military troops who need to keep their energy up. Provender can also describe a food supply for animals such as cows or horses. No matter who or what the provender feeds, the point is, it provides nutrition.

Example Sentences

Whenever I asked Baehrel questions about his past, his family, his influences, or even the rudiments of his business, he changed the subject to whatever flora or provender was at hand.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 22, 2016

It clicked, immediately: this is now my Madrid version of that simple but marvelous restaurant I love everywhere, where the walls ain’t fancy, the provender ain’t cheap, but same provender is worth every penny.

From Forbes • Oct. 14, 2014

They grow fat off this rich provender, swelling in turn into their own grotesque balloons before squeezing a slimy mass of eggs from their enormous backsides.

From Scientific American • Feb. 9, 2013

A provender mill, a mechanical gas powered mill, was used when the nearby buildings prevented winds from turning the sails.

From BBC • May 1, 2011

‘And you need not turn up your nose at the provender, Master Gimli,’ said Merry.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien