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 Physical sources are also catered for with analog, optical and even HDMI inputs available Music can also be accessed locally from USB-C music drives. Mark Sparrow, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 Barnard Clark, who catered her first wedding at 15 and has been hosting ever since, includes tips for building a beautiful tablescape, arranging flowers, and more pre-party essentials. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 15 Oct. 2024 In August 2023, sources confirmed to PEOPLE that the pop star gave bonuses totaling over $50 million to every staff member of her team, from her dancers to riggers, sound technicians and catering. Rebecca Aizin, People.com, 9 Oct. 2024 Everyone then sat down for a plated dinner — a must-have for the couple — with authentic Italian fare catered by Prossimo Ristorante. Erin Clack, People.com, 8 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cater 

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 31 Oct. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!