Victualed

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To be in possession of supplies that include food for consumption
2. Having been provided with necessary food and supplies for sustenance
3. Equipped or stocked with edible goods and provisions for use

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "victualed" is that its ancestor is a Latin word meaning "that which sustains life." Latin "vīvō" meant "to live," and its derivative "vīctus" meant diet or nourishment. Late Latin turned this into "vīctuālia," the plural of an adjective meaning "nutritional," and from there the word passed into Old French as "vitaile" and "victaille," meaning food or provisions in general. English borrowed the noun as "vitaile" in Middle English, where it could mean food and drink, stores of supplies, or even a military stipend. The verb "vitailen" came from Anglo-Norman and Old French, built on that noun with the verb-forming ending "-er." It meant to supply someone, a castle, or a ship with food and other necessities, and it could be used figuratively, as in loading a ship with troops and materiel. The modern spelling was reshaped to match the Late Latin form, with its "ct" and "ua," while the pronunciation kept the older Middle English and French sound. That is why the spelling looks more Latinate than the word sounds, and why the "-ed" form of the verb now describes a ship or pantry that has been stocked.

Synonyms: fed, nourished