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.
Here's what's new: Wurst Behavior in Irving Park offers a sausage party catered by Art Wnorowski and Gosia Pieniazek — the same couple that brought you Wicker Park's excellent Pierogi Kitchen. Monica Eng, Axios, 15 Dec. 2024 The trend is a boon for shopping malls, which have begun to cater specifically to teens and twenty-somethings with store features and experiences. – CNBC’s Sean Conlon, Hakyung Kim, Kevin Breuninger, Melissa Repko, Leslie Josephs and Michael Sheetz contributed to this report. Sara Salinas, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2024 Matsuhisa will be returning to cater the upcoming Golden Globes ceremony on Jan. 5. Raven Brunner, People.com, 10 Dec. 2024 Husband Put In Charge Of Baby Shower Games, Did Not Disappoint By Lydia Patrick Life & Trends Reporter 0 A woman has been backed by internet users for refusing to cater her friend's baby shower after being uninvited. Mark R. Weaver, Newsweek, 4 Dec. 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 26 Dec. 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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