provender

[ prov-uhn-der ]

noun

1. dry food, as hay or oats, for livestock or other domestic animals; fodder.
2. food; provisions.

provender

/ ˈprɒvɪndə /

noun

1. any dry feed or fodder for domestic livestock
2. food in general

Word History and Origins

Origin of provender¹

1275–1325; Middle English provendre, from Old French, variant of provende “prebend, provender,” from Medieval Latin prōbenda, alteration of praebenda prebend, perhaps by association with Latin prōvidēre “to look out for, provide ”

Word History and Origins

Origin of provender¹

C14: from Old French provendre, from Late Latin praebenda grant, from Latin praebēre to proffer; influenced also by Latin prōvidēre to look after

Synonym Study

See feed.

Example Sentences

Some of us went to have a peek at the egg, which it had left open, and its stack of provender.

From Nature

Besides their livestock and the wild provender found in the hills, the Dongria still farm as many as twenty-five or thirty crops.

From The New Yorker

‘And you need not turn up your nose at the provender, Master Gimli,’ said Merry.

From Literature

Bringing up young hobbits took a lot of provender.

From Literature

While Mr. Steelman’s food doesn’t have the dramatic flair of Mr. Burke’s, it remains creative and often surprising, somewhat global, and focused on American provender.

From New York Times