garnish

[ gahr-nish ]

verb (used with object)

1. to provide or supply with something ornamental; adorn; decorate:

   a free-standing wall whose lower reaches are garnished by hanging gardens.

   Synonyms: enhance, bedizen, bedeck, trim, beautify, ornament, embellish

2. to provide (a food) with something that adds flavor, decorative color, etc.:

   to garnish boiled potatoes with chopped parsley.

3. Law.
   1. to attach (as money due or property belonging to a debtor) by garnishment; garnishee:

      The court garnished his wages when he refused to pay child support.

   2. to summon in, so as to take part in litigation already pending between others.

noun

1. something placed around or on a food or in a beverage to add flavor, decorative color, etc.
2. adornment or decoration.

   Synonyms: garniture, ornament

3. Chiefly British. a fee formerly demanded of a new convict or worker by the warden, boss, or fellow prisoners or workers.

garnish

/ ˈɡɑːnɪʃ /

verb

1. to decorate; trim
2. to add something to (food) in order to improve its appearance or flavour
3. law
   1. to serve with notice of proceedings; warn
   2. to summon to proceedings already in progress
   3. to attach (a debt)
4. slang.
   to extort money from

noun

1. a decoration; trimming
2. something, such as parsley, added to a dish for its flavour or decorative effect
3. obsolete.
   a payment illegally extorted, as from a prisoner by his jailer

Derived Forms

• ˈgarnisher, noun

Other Words From

• garnish·a·ble adjective
• garnish·er noun
• over·garnish verb (used with object)
• re·garnish verb (used with object)
• under·garnish verb (used with object)
• un·garnished adjective
• well-garnished adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of garnish¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English garnishen, from Old French garniss- (extended stem of garnir, guarnir “to furnish,” from Germanic ); warn

Word History and Origins

Origin of garnish¹

C14: from Old French garnir to adorn, equip, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German warnōn to pay heed

Example Sentences

It is not uncommon to puree this soup, but generally each bowl would then be garnished with a whole oyster or two and some chunkier bits of artichoke.

From Salon

“I find it hard to come up with an adequate analogy, but imagine the plain, contemporary style of Raymond Carver being garnished with the elaborate diction of Charles Dickens,” he wrote.

From Los Angeles Times

We supplied our own tomatoes, herbs, flowers and garnishes.

From Salon

The easiest way to cut down on food waste is to use everything – for stocks, for sauces, for garnishes, to pickle, you name it!

From Salon

The garnishes and embellishments are as significant as the flavors themselves.

From Salon