cater
Americanverb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
verb
-
(intr; foll by for or to) to provide what is required or desired (for)
to cater for a need
cater to your tastes
-
to provide food, services, etc (for)
we cater for parties
to cater a banquet
Other Word Forms
- cateringly adverb
- uncatered adjective
- uncatering adjective
Etymology
Origin of cater
First recorded in 1350–1400; verb use of obsolete cater, Middle English catour, variant of acatour “buyer,” from Anglo-French, from acat(er) “to buy” ( cate ) + -our -or 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Branded as "danmei" - or indulgence in beauty - the genre is part of a beloved lineage of gay romance that has long catered to female fantasy.
From BBC
"At the moment, they are producing about half as many SSNs as the American Navy needs, let alone to cater for the American and Australian needs."
From Barron's
Still, tech giants want to cater to Indonesia's huge, tech-savvy population.
From Barron's
Despite high unemployment, the border closure has raised fears of labour shortages in construction, catering and healthcare, where many Russians work.
From Barron's
“A lot of it was catered toward only grabbing the attention of the child with a lot of ice cream and candy and sweets and high energy,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
