garnish

English

Etymology

From Middle English garnischen, from Old French garniss-, stem of certain forms of the verb garnir, guarnir, warnir (“to provide, furnish, avert, defend, warn, fortify, garnish”), from a conflation of Old Frankish *warnjan (“to refuse, deny”) and *warnōn (“warn, protect, prepare, beware, guard oneself”), from Proto-Germanic *warnijanan (“to worry, care, heed”) and Proto-Germanic *warnōnan (“to warn”); both from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to defend, protect, cover”). Cognate with Old English wiernan (“to withhold, be sparing of, deny, refuse, reject, decline, forbid, prevent from, avert”) and warnian (“to warn, caution, take warning, take heed, guard oneself against, deny”). More at warn.

Verb

garnish (third-person singular simple present garnishes, present participle garnishing, simple past and past participle garnished)

1. To decorate with ornamental appendages; to set off; to adorn; to embellish; as, all within with flowers was garnished.
2. (cooking) To ornament, as a dish, with something laid about it; as, a dish garnished with parsley.
3. To furnish; to supply.

   By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; his hand hath formed the crooked serpent. (Job 26:13, KJV)

4. To fit with fetters.
5. (law) To warn by garnishment; to give notice to; to garnishee.

Derived terms

• garnishee
• garnishment
• garnishor

Related terms

• garrison
• garment

Translations

To decorate with ornamental appendages

• Finnish: koristella (fi)
• German: verzieren (de)
• Icelandic: skreyta (is)

• Irish: maisigh (ga)
• Italian: guarnire (it), decorare (it), adornare (it)
• Spanish: guarnecer

To ornament

• Finnish: koristella (fi)
• German: verzieren (de), garnieren (de)
• Icelandic:

• Italian: ornare (it), abbellire (it)
• Spanish: guarnecer

To furnish; to supply

• Italian: fornire (it)

• Spanish: guarnecer

To fit with fetters

To warn by garnishment

Noun

garnish (plural garnishes)

1. a set of dishes, often pewter, containing a dozen pieces of several types.
2. pewter vessels in general.
   • 1882, James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, Volume 4, p. 478:

     The accounts of collegiate and monastic institutions give abundant entries of the price of pewter vessels, called also garnish.

Translations

• Icelandic: skreyting (is) f

External links

• garnish in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
• garnish in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
• garnish at OneLook Dictionary Search

Anagrams

• sharing