Resupply

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˌɹiː.səˈplaɪ/

Definitions

1. To deliver fresh provisions or materials necessary for continued operations
2. The process of augmenting or replenishing essential supplies to sustain ongoing efforts
3. To send or bring necessary items again to support continued activity

Etymology: "Resupply" is a plain formation: the prefix "re-" ("again") attached to "supply." The base verb "supply" has a longer route into English. It comes from Latin "supplēre," meaning "to fill up" or "to make up for a deficiency," built from "sub" ("under," here meaning "from below" or "up to") and "plēre" ("to fill"). Latin passed it into Old French as "souploier," and Middle English took it from there as "supplien," which eventually became modern "supply." So the core idea is still that of filling something up that has run low. That makes "resupply" literally "filling up again." A unit that has used up its ammunition, food, or fuel is refilled, and the word fits that cycle of emptying and restocking exactly. The "re-" prefix is productive in English, so the combination is transparent and needs no special coinage.

Synonyms: replenish, restock

Antonyms: deplete, exhaust