cater

verb

ca·​ter ˈkā-tər 

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

ˈkā-tər-ər 

noun

Synonyms

• board
• feed
• provision
• victual

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

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

For modern travelers, both AWOL Stowe and Field Guide Lodge are Lark Hotels properties catered towards millennials. —Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 2 Oct. 2024

We are dedicated to catering more effectively to the burgeoning demand for our fibers, proudly marketed under the Tencel, Lenzing, EcoVero, and Veocel brands. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 2 Oct. 2024

McKay has been catering for nearly 17 years, but in 2010 began a culinary arts and culinary management program at Milwaukee Area Technical College. —Jessica Rodriguez, Journal Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2024

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

Phrases Containing cater

• cater-cousin
• cater for
• cater to

Kids Definition

cater

verb

ca·​ter ˈkāt-ər 

1

: to provide a supply of food

cater for parties

2

: to supply what is wanted or needed

caterer

-ər-ər 

noun