supply

¹

[ suh-plahy ]

verb (used with object)

, sup·plied, sup·ply·ing.

1. to furnish or provide (a person, establishment, place, etc.) with what is lacking or requisite:

   to supply someone clothing;

   to supply a community with electricity.

2. to furnish or provide (something wanting or requisite):

   to supply electricity to a community.

3. to make up, compensate for, or satisfy (a deficiency, loss, need, etc.):

   The TVA supplied the need for cheap electricity.

4. to fill or occupy as a substitute, as a vacancy, a pulpit, etc.:

   During the summer local clergymen will supply the pulpit.

verb (used without object)

, sup·plied, sup·ply·ing.

1. to fill the place of another, especially the pulpit of a church, temporarily or as a substitute:

   Who will supply until the new minister arrives?

noun

, plural sup·plies.

1. the act of supplying, furnishing, providing, satisfying, etc.:

   to begin the supply of household help.

2. something that is supplied:

   The storm cut off our water supply.

3. a quantity of something on hand or available, as for use; a stock or store:

   Did you see our new supply of shirts?

4. Usually supplies. a provision, stock, or store of food or other things necessary for maintenance:

   to lay in supplies for the winter.

5. Economics. the quantity of a commodity that is in the market and available for purchase or that is available for purchase at a particular price.
6. supplies, Military.
   1. all items necessary for the equipment, maintenance, and operation of a military command, including food, clothing, arms, ammunition, fuel, materials, and machinery.
   2. procurement, distribution, maintenance, and salvage of supplies.
7. a person who fills a vacancy or takes the place of another, especially temporarily.
8. supplies. Obsolete. reinforcement ( def 4 ).
9. Obsolete. aid.

supply

²

[ suhp-lee ]

adverb

1. in a supple manner or way; supplely.

supply

¹

/ səˈplaɪ /

verb

1. troften foll bywith to furnish with something that is required

   to supply the community with good government

2. tr; often foll by to or for to make available or provide (something that is desired or lacking)

   to supply books to the library

3. tr to provide for adequately; make good; satisfy

   who will supply their needs?

4. to serve as a substitute, usually temporary, in (another's position, etc)

   there are no clergymen to supply the pulpit

5. tr to fill (a vacancy, position, etc)

noun

1. 1. the act of providing or something that is provided
   2. ( as modifier )

      a supply dump

2. often plural an amount available for use; stock
3. plural food, equipment, etc, needed for a campaign or trip
4. economics
   1. willingness and ability to offer goods and services for sale
   2. the amount of a commodity that producers are willing and able to offer for sale at a specified price Compare demand
5. military
   1. the management and disposal of food and equipment
   2. ( as modifier )

      supply routes

6. often plural a grant of money voted by a legislature for government expenses, esp those not covered by other revenues
7. (in Parliament and similar legislatures) the money voted annually for the expenses of the civil service and armed forces
8. 1. a person who acts as a temporary substitute
   2. ( as modifier )

      a supply vicar

9. a source of electrical energy, gas, etc
10. obsolete.
    aid or assistance

supply

²

/ ˈsʌplɪ; ˈsʌpəlɪ /

adverb

1. in a supple manner

supply

1. The amount of any given commodity available for sale at a given time.

Derived Forms

• supˈplier, noun
• supˈpliable, adjective

Other Words From

• sup·plier noun
• unsup·plied adjective
• well-sup·plied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of supply¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb sup(p)lien “to fill up, complete,” from Middle French souplier, soupleer, ultimately from Latin supplēre “to fill up” (equivalent to sup- prefix + plēre “to fill”); noun derivative of the verb; sup- full ¹

Origin of supply²

First recorded in 1525–35; supple + -ly

Word History and Origins

Origin of supply¹

C14: from Old French souppleier, from Latin supplēre to complete, from sub- up + plēre to fill

Idioms and Phrases

see in short supply .

Example Sentences

Another interpretation is that Native American tribes would set beaver traps before the swamps froze, ensuring a supply of warm winter furs.

From BBC

The firm said in October it had stopped working with the supplier of the onions and had removed them from its supply chain.

From BBC

Inflation has already been a major concern for U.S. consumers, reaching a peak of 9.1% in June 2022 due to pandemic-related supply chain disruptions.

From Salon

Hoover quickly created a new management structure and gathered a core of officers experienced in various aspects of supply.

From Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles will soon begin building a $740-million project to transform wastewater into purified drinking water in the San Fernando Valley, expanding the city’s local water supply in an effort to prepare for worsening droughts compounded by climate change.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• amount
• fund
• inventory
• number
• quantity
• stock
• stockpile