English
cater
see also: Cater
Etymology 1

From Middle English catour, aphetic form of acatour ("acater"), from Old French acheter.

Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /ˈkeɪtə/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈkeɪɾɚ/
Verb

cater (caters, present participle catering; simple past and past participle catered)

  1. To provide, particularly:
    1. (ambitransitive) To provide with food, especially for a special occasion as a professional service.
      I catered for her bat mitzvah.
      His company catered our wedding.
    2. (intransitive, figurative, with 'to') To provide anything required or desired, often (pejorative) to pander.
      I always wanted someone to cater to my every whim.
    3. (intransitive, figurative, with 'for') To tailor something to an intended audience.
      The business caters for young professionals.
Translations Translations Noun

cater (plural caters)

  1. (obsolete) Synonym of acater: an officer who purchased cates (food supplies) for the steward of a large household or estate.
  2. (obsolete) Synonym of caterer: any provider of food.
  3. (figurative, obsolete) Synonym of purveyor: any provider of anything.
Etymology 2

Probably ultimately from French quatre, possibly via cater ("change-ringing"), although Liberman argues for a derivation from a gmq - prefix meaning "crooked, angled, clumsy" from which he also derives cater-cousin and, via Norse, Old Irish cittach ("left-handed, awkward").

Verb

cater (caters, present participle catering; simple past and past participle catered)

  1. (UK dialect) To place, set, move, or cut diagonally or rhomboidally.
Adverb

cater (not comparable)

  1. (UK dialect, US) Diagonally.
Etymology 3

From French quatre.

Pronunciation
  • (British) IPA: /ˈkeɪtə/, /ˈkatə/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈkeɪtəɹ/
Noun

cater (plural caters)

  1. (rare, obsolete) Four.
  2. (cards, dice, obsolete) The four of cards or dice.
  3. (music) A method of ringing nine bells in four pairs with a ninth tenor bell.
Translations
Cater
Etymology

Occupational surname, from cater, obsolete form of caterer.

Proper noun
  1. Surname.


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