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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Meanwhile, the bride got to work catering her own wedding day. Elise Taylor, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2024 Where Democrats have historically catered their outreach to Latinos around immigration policy, surveys show that checkbook issues are top of mind for most of the community this election year. Chad De Guzman, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024 Lack of International Access Even if the IRS Direct File system were expanded to include some of the forms and rules relevant to overseas Americans, another major obstacle is that IRS systems often don’t cater well to international users. Virginia La Torre Jeker, J.d., Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024 Highlighting the region’s inclination toward local innovation, the report identifies a growing demand for Arab beauty (A-beauty) brands which cater specifically to Middle Eastern consumers. Fairchild Studio, WWD, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cater 

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 23 Nov. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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