Aliments

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A variety of foods and nourishment that are necessary for sustaining life and health
2. Substances consumed to provide the body with essential nutrients for growth, maintenance, and energy
3. Items that constitute nutrition, playing a crucial role in supporting physical well-being and overall vitality

Etymology: "Aliments" is the third-person singular present form of the verb "aliment," meaning to nourish or sustain, so its story is really the story of that verb. The verb came into English from French "aliment," which in turn borrowed the Latin "alimentum," meaning "food" or "nourishment." That Latin noun grew from "alere," "to nourish," the same root behind English "adult," since an adult is one who has been fully nourished and grown. The noun sense, the substances we eat for nourishment, comes from the same Latin base and is the older and more common use of the family. Both the verb and the noun trace back to the idea of feeding something so it can grow.

Synonyms: nourishments, sustenance, foodstuffs, meals, provisions

Antonyms: starvation, hunger, deprivation, malnourishment, emptiness