purveyance

American  

[per-vey-uhns] / pərˈveɪ əns /

noun

1. the act of purveying.

2. something that is purveyed, as provisions.

3. English Law. a prerogative of the crown, abolished in 1660, allowing provisions, supplies, or services for the sovereign or the royal household to be purchased or acquired at an appraised value.

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purveyance British  

/ pəˈveɪəns /

noun

1. history the collection or requisition of provisions for a sovereign

2. rare the act of purveying

3. rare that which is purveyed

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Other Word Forms

• nonpurveyance noun

Etymology

Origin of purveyance

1225–75; purvey + -ance; replacing Middle English purvea ( u ) nce, purvya ( u ) nce < Old French purveance < Latin prōvidentia. See providence

Example Sentences

"But it is contrary to our fundamental norms to permit government-sanctioned attacks on the purveyance of ideas, even when those ideas are repugnant."

From Reuters • Mar. 21, 2014

Having saved their historic building from the knacker's yard in 1993, the Horse Hospital is now gearing up to celebrate 20 years of alternative pop-cultural purveyance.

From The Guardian • Feb. 2, 2013

There Edward announced that he accepted the petitions of the estates and issued a statute limiting purveyance.

From The History of England From the Accession of Henry III. to the Death of Edward III. (1216-1377) by Hunt, William

When we were come to Cyprus," says Joinville, Histoire de Saint Louis, §§ 72, 73, "we found there greate foison of the Kynge's purveyance.

From Man and Nature or, Physical Geography as Modified by Human Action by Marsh, George P.

One day, while it was yet so cold that the water was still frozen, the King's people had gone out "to get them fish or fowl, or some such purveyance as they sustained themselves withal."

From The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 05 (From Charlemagne to Frederick Barbarossa) by Horne, Charles F. (Charles Francis)