Refreshment

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈfɹɛʃ.mənt/

Definitions

1. Light food or drink provided to refresh and nourish people typically at social events or breaks
2. Small amounts of food or beverage offered to revive energy or provide a brief rest
3. Simple consumables like snacks or drinks intended to restore comfort or maintain stamina during an activity

Etymology: The idea at the heart of "refreshment" is simply making something fresh again. It comes from Old French "refrescher," built from "re-" meaning "again" and "fresche," meaning "fresh." The French word is itself a reworking of an older stock that goes back to a Germanic source, and "fresh" in English shares that same ancestry, which means "refresh" and "fresh" are close relatives rooted in one Germanic word. English took the term in the 1600s, with the earliest recorded use dated to 1665. It may have arrived directly from French or through the Middle English "refreschement," so the path is not entirely settled. Either way, the sense of renewing a tired body or mind with something small, such as a bite to eat or a drink, followed naturally from the older idea of restoring freshness.

Synonyms: snack, beverage, treat

Antonyms: deprivation