cater

verb

ca·​ter ˈkā-tər How to pronounce cater (audio)
catered; catering; caters

intransitive verb

1
: to provide a supply of food
cater for a large party
2
: to supply what is required or desired
catering to middle-class tastes

transitive verb

: to provide food and service for
catered the banquet
caterer noun

Examples of cater in a Sentence

The restaurant caters for parties. A local restaurant catered the banquet. The awards ceremony will be a catered event.
Recent Examples on the Web The film ends with the prime minister catering a seafood dinner for the Ministry. Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024 There are photos of Tork, too, catering halal feasts for northeastern Sacramento County’s sizable Middle Eastern population. Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 18 Apr. 2024 That musician is known solely for his rock and rap output that caters only to a fan base that leans right politically. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 There are food halls catering for every dietary need. Laura Parker, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Fiery celebration Campbell residents ages 50 and up are invited to embrace the spirit of the Year of the Dragon Feb. 23 at a Lunar New Year celebration, featuring food catered by Golden Harvest and entertainment by Chinese Performing Arts of America. Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 4 Feb. 2024 If food for a large gathering was needed, the seminary would cater or bring in cooks for the event. James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2024 There was nothing in there that really catered towards the baby. Angela Andaloro, Peoplemag, 22 Mar. 2024 Detractors say the insult highlights their interest in catering only to a narrow slice of the electorate. Josh Feldman, NBC News, 4 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cater.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

obsolete cater buyer of provisions, from Middle English catour, short for acatour, from Anglo-French, from acater to buy — more at cate

First Known Use

1580, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cater was in 1580

Dictionary Entries Near cater

Cite this Entry

“Cater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cater. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

cater

verb
ca·​ter ˈkāt-ər How to pronounce cater (audio)
1
: to provide a supply of food
cater for parties
2
: to supply what is wanted or needed
caterer noun

More from Merriam-Webster on cater

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