cater

cater · verb, noun¹

1. Old French · derived fromacater“to buy, to purchase”
2. Middle English · inherited fromcatour“acater, provisioner”
3. English todaycater

From Middle English catour (“acater, provisioner”), aphetic form of acatour (“acater”), from Old French acater (“to buy, to purchase”). Equivalent to cate + -er.

cater · verb, adverb²

1. French · derived fromquatre“four”
2. English todaycater

Probably ultimately from French quatre (“four”), possibly via cater (“change-ringing”), although Liberman argues for a derivation from a North Germanic prefix meaning "crooked, angled, clumsy" from which he also derives cater-cousin and, via Norse, Old Irish cittach (“left-handed, awkward”). He finds this more likely than extension of the dice and change-ringing term cater as an adverb, given the likely cognates in other Germanic languages. Caterpillar and caterwaul are unrelated, being derived from cognates to cat, but may have influenced the pronunciation of Liberman's proposed earlier *cate- or undergone similar sound changes.

cater · noun³

1. French · derived fromquatre“four”
2. English todaycater

From French quatre (“four”). Doublet of cuatro.

Cater · proper noun⁴

Occupational surname, from cater, obsolete form of caterer.

Words from the same roots