Provisors

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An individual who provides supplies or provisions for a particular purpose or organization
2. A supplier or vendor responsible for distributing necessary resources or materials
3. One who makes arrangements for the outfitting or equipping of a group or enterprise with required items

Etymology: "Provisors" is simply the plural of "provisor," so it is the form to use when referring to more than one supplier or purveyor. The singular "provisor" comes from Latin "prōvīsor," a word for one who foresees or looks ahead, and that Latin term is built on "prōvideō," meaning "to provide" or "to foresee." The root idea is looking forward: to provide something is to see what will be needed and make ready for it in advance. From that Latin base, the sense of arranging or furnishing supplies grew naturally, since whoever foresaw a need was also the one who saw to it. The word has stayed close to that practical, forward-looking core, with the plural form simply counting the people or agents who carry out that task.