Providore

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A provider of consumable goods, especially food and provisions, that meets the dietary needs of customers
2. A supplier of foodstuffs or catering essentials who ensures that clients' culinary requirements are satisfied
3. An individual or business responsible for sourcing and delivering food items along with other necessary provisions

Etymology: Providore is a variant spelling of "provedore," and the two forms trace back to Latin "providere," "to foresee, provide for." The Iberian form "proveedor," meaning "one who provides," gave English the stem, so the word names a person whose job is to supply goods. Its closest relative in English is "purveyor," which came through Old French from the same Latin verb. The two words took separate routes into English, but both preserve the idea of someone who looks ahead and arranges supplies. The spelling "providore" also echoes "provide," which helps explain why it looks like an ordinary English formation even though its path ran through other languages.