furnish

[ fur-nish ]

verb (used with object)

1. to supply (a house, room, etc.) with necessary furniture, carpets, appliances, etc.

   Synonyms: outfit, rig

2. to provide or supply (often followed by with ):

   The delay furnished me with the time I needed.

   Synonyms: outfit, rig

noun

1. paper pulp and any ingredients added to it prior to its introduction into a papermaking machine.

furnish

/ ˈfɜːnɪʃ /

verb

1. to provide (a house, room, etc) with furniture, carpets, etc
2. to equip with what is necessary; fit out
3. to give; supply

   the records furnished the information required

Derived Forms

• ˈfurnisher, noun

Other Words From

• furnish·er noun
• over·furnish verb (used with object)
• pre·furnish verb (used with object)
• re·furnish verb (used with object)
• under·furnish verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of furnish¹

1400–50; late Middle English furnisshen, from Old French furniss-, long stem of furnir “to accomplish, furnish,” from Germanic; compare Old High German frumjan “to provide”

Word History and Origins

Origin of furnish¹

C15: from Old French fournir , of Germanic origin; related to Old High German frummen to carry out

Synonym Study

Furnish, appoint, equip all refer to providing something necessary. Furnish emphasizes the idea of providing necessary or customary services or appliances in living quarters: to furnish board; a room meagerly furnished with a bed, desk, and a wooden chair. Appoint, a more formal word now usually used in the past participle appointed, means to furnish completely with all requisites or accessories or in an elegant style: a well-appointed house. Equip means to supply with necessary materials or apparatus for some service, action, or undertaking; it emphasizes preparation: to equip a vessel, a soldier.

Example Sentences

Michelle Jacobs, a former Florida law professor, said that even purchases for equipment and furnishings were used to increase the rankings, by increasing expenditures per student.

From New York Times

When it was time for the raid, Mills, furnished with a walkie-talkie, mounted a nearby roof to keep an eye out as the others went through the tunnel and worked on breaking into the vault.

From BBC

Amazon touted the sparsely furnished studio and un-flashy graphics as a refreshing departure from the typical horse-race network trappings, on the other hand, focusing instead on discussion and other media round-ups.

From Salon

The centre has seen everything from a European tree frog in a home furnishings store, to a venomous spider in a case of Australian wine.

From BBC

Mrs Harris, 77, said she was willing to take her fight to court, but the council said the building met the definition as "contained in the act" and is "substantially furnished".

From BBC

Related Words

• afford
• dispense
• hand over
• provide
• turn over