victual

[ vit-l ]
See synonyms for: victualvictualedvictualingvictualled on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. victuals, food supplies; provisions.

  2. food or provisions for human beings.

verb (used with object),vict·ualed, vict·ual·ing or (especially British) vict·ualled, vict·ual·ling.
  1. to supply with victuals.

verb (used without object),vict·ualed, vict·ual·ing or (especially British) vict·ualled, vict·ual·ling.
  1. to take or obtain victuals.

  2. Archaic. to eat or feed.

Origin of victual

1
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English vitaille, from Anglo-French, Middle French vitail(l)e, Old French vituaille, from Late Latin victuālia “provisions,” noun use of neuter plural of Latin victuālis “pertaining to food,” equivalent to victu(s) “nourishment, way of living” (vic-, variant stem of vīvere “to live” + -tus suffix of verb action) + -ālis -al1; modern spelling from Latin
  • Also Nonstandard, vit·tle .

Other words from victual

  • vict·ual·less, adjective
  • re·vict·ual, verb, re·vict·ualed, re·vict·ual·ing or (especially British) re·vict·ualled, re·vict·ual·ling.
  • un·vic·tualed, un·vic·tualled, adjective

Words Nearby victual

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use victual in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for victual

victual

/ (ˈvɪtəl) /


verb-uals, -ualling or -ualled or US -uals, -ualing or -ualed
  1. to supply with or obtain victuals

  2. (intr) rare (esp of animals) to partake of victuals

Origin of victual

1
C14: from Old French vitaille, from Late Latin victuālia provisions, from Latin victuālis concerning food, from victus sustenance, from vīvere to live

Derived forms of victual

  • victual-less, adjective

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