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vittle

[vit-l]
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noun, verb (used with or without object)
  1. victual.
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Origin of vittle

First recorded in 1805–15

victual

or vit·tle

[vit-l]
noun
  1. victuals, food supplies; provisions.
  2. food or provisions for human beings.
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verb (used with object), vict·ualed, vict·ual·ing or (especially British) vict·ualled, vict·ual·ling.
  1. to supply with victuals.
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verb (used without object), vict·ualed, vict·ual·ing or (especially British) vict·ualled, vict·ual·ling.
  1. to take or obtain victuals.
  2. Archaic. to eat or feed.
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Origin of victual

1275–1325; Middle English vitaille < Anglo-French, Middle French vitail(l)e, Old French vituaille < Late Latin victuālia provisions, noun use of neuter plural of Latin victuālis pertaining to food, equivalent to victu(s) nourishment, way of living (vic-, variant stem of vīvere to live + -tus suffix of v. action) + -ālis -al1; modern spelling < Latin
Related formsvict·ual·less, adjectivere·vict·ual, verb, re·vict·ualed, re·vict·ual·ing or (especially British) re·vict·ualled, re·vict·ual·ling.un·vic·tualed, adjectiveun·vic·tualled, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

chow, eats, fare, groceries, grub, larder, meal, nourishment, provender, provisions, snack, viands, victuals, foodstuff, eatables, edibles, goodies, refreshments

Examples from the Web for vittles

Historical Examples

  • The Lawd will pahvide whethah it's a burnt offerin' or a meal's vittles.

    The Little Colonel

    Annie Fellows Johnston

  • He fixed it so as we could both go in with aperns on and toting vittles.

    Tom Sawyer, Detective

    Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

  • You've got to have vittles and clothes, even in Trumet, and a place to put your head in nights.

    Keziah Coffin

    Joseph C. Lincoln

  • They're like empty nail-kags, and they'll eat a lot of vittles and we've got the money to pay!

  • If any bear steals my vittles he's goin' t' git cuffed bard.'

    Eben Holden

    Irving Bacheller

British Dictionary definitions for vittles

vittle

noun, verb
  1. an obsolete or dialect spelling of victual
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victual

verb -uals, -ualling or -ualled or US -uals, -ualing or -ualed
  1. to supply with or obtain victuals
  2. (intr) rare (esp of animals) to partake of victuals
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See also victuals
Derived Formsvictual-less, adjective

Word Origin

C14: from Old French vitaille, from Late Latin victuālia provisions, from Latin victuālis concerning food, from victus sustenance, from vīvere to live
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for vittles

victual

n.

c.1300; see victuals.

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victual

v.

c.1300, from Anglo-French or Old French vitailler, from vitaille (see victuals). Related: Victualed; victualing.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper