▪ I. provision, n.
(prəʊˈvɪʒən)
Also 4–6 with y for i, c for s, ou for o (5 Sc. -wisioune, 6 -vysshion, -vytyon, Sc. -visiun, 7 -vission).
[a. F. provision (1320 in Hatz.-Darm.), ad. L. prōvīsiōn-em a foreseeing, forethought, precaution, providing, prevention, n. of action f. prōvidēre to provide.]
† 1. Foresight, prevision; esp. (with trace of sense 2) foresight carefully exercised; looking ahead. Obs.
| c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 22 For all cometh of Jhesu—Conseul, confort, discrecion, and prudence, Provysion for sight and provydence. 1515 Barclay Egloges iv. (1570) C vj b/2, But goodly vertue a lady moste ornate Within gouerneth with great prouision. c 1530 H. Rhodes Bk. Nurture 276 in Babees Bk. (1868) 89 Giue with good will, and auoyde thy ennemye with prouisyon. |
2. a. The action of providing; seeing to things beforehand; preparing, or arranging in advance; the fact or condition of being prepared or made ready beforehand.
| 1456 Coventry Leet Bk. 292 Payd to Joh. Wedurby..for þe provicion and makyng of these premisses of the welcomyng of oure Souerayn lady the quene. 1549 Compl. Scot Prol. 13 [Phormion] persauand thir tua princis entir in his scule,..but prouisione, he began to teche the ordour of the veyris. 1602 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass. v. ii. (Arb.) 67 Letts both go spend our litle store, In the prouision of due furniture. 1610 Shakes. Temp. i. ii. 28. 1655 Marquis of Worcester Cent. Inv. §6 According to occasion given and means afforded, Ex re natâ, and no need of Provision before-hand. 1879 Huxley Hume i. (1881) 15 Due provision for education..is a right and, indeed, a duty of the state. |
b. esp. The providing or supplying of necessaries for a household, an expedition, etc.
| 1484 Caxton Fables of Alfonce v, This thre felawes made so grete prouysyon of flour for to make theyr pylgremage. 1557 Order of Hospitalls D viij b, Such necessaries and prouisions as are to be made, as of Butter, Cheese, Hering, Wood, Cole, and other whatsoeuer. 1630 R. Johnson's Kingd. & Commw. 52, I would not have him live at his owne provision, (especially in France) it will hinder his profiting, and onely further him with some few kitchen and market phrases. 1818 Colebrooke Import Colonial Corn 23 It is the same surplus of population above the provision of necessaries, that is availing for the promotion..of the arts of peace. |
c. Phr.
to make († have, take) provision, to make previous arrangement or preparation
for, or for the supply or benefit of; to provide
for.
† to put provision to, to provide against (
obs.).
† to take provision of, to have recourse to (
obs.).
| 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) III. 321 The man imprisonede askede respite that he myȝhte make ordinaunce and prouision for his wife and childer. c 1470 Henry Wallace iii. 272 Quhill eft for him prowisioune we may mak. 1480 Coventry Leet Bk. 435 Þe wardeyns shuld..pay for their costes vnto such tyme that provision myght be taken howe such charge & coste shuld be boron. c 1489 Caxton Blanchardyn xxvii. 101 But yf thou putte a prouysyon therto shortly, thou shalt, are thre dayes be passed, see thy self beseged wythin the cyte. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. 241 All this season the kynge of Englande made great provisyon to come into France. 1538 Starkey England i. iv. 111 Some prouysyon for the second bretherne, by the ordur of law, also wold be had. 1622 Buccleuch MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm.) I. 209 If there were not a present surrendry made, England must take provision of arms. 1766 Franklin Ess. Wks. 1840 II. 358 The more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves. 1833 H. Martineau Vanderput & S. viii. 125 No provision made for his daughter's residence. 1879 Cassell's Techn. Educ. IV. 64/2 Provision should be made for the illustrations of the lectures by monster diagrams. |
3. The action of God in providing for his creatures; the divine ordination and over-ruling of events; the providential dealing of the Divine Being; providence; the action of Providence.
| c 1450 Mankind 188 in Macro Plays 8 To..yelde ws wndur Godis provycyon. 1483 Caxton's Chron. Eng. iii. (1520) 27/1 In his dayes peas was over all the worlde thrugh the provysyon of the very god. 1538 Starkey England i. iii. 90 When the prouysyon of God sendyth vs sesonabul weddur. 1552 Abp. Hamilton Catech. (1884) 13 The conservatioun, provisioun, protectioun and governans quhilk God hes of all his creaturis. 1559 Bp. Scot in Strype Ann. Ref. (1709) I. App. x. 32 If we woulde consider all things well, we shall see the provision of God marvellous in it. |
4. Eccl. Appointment to a see or benefice not yet vacant;
esp. such appointment made by the pope in derogation of the right of the regular patron:
cf. provide v. 6. Also, the document conferring such an appointment.
Obs. exc. Hist.| [1350–1 Act 25 Edw. III, Stat. iv. (Stat. of Provisors), Et en cas qe dascune Erceveschee, Eveschee, dignite ou autre quecunqe benefice, soit reservacion, collacion, ou provision faite per la courte de Rome, en desturbance des eleccions, collacions ou presentacions [etc.].] |
| c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. II. 416 Bigynne we at elecciouns or provysyouns of þe pope. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VIII. 339 Þe kyng fordede provisiouns þat þe pope hadde i-graunted, and hoted þat no man schulde..brynge suche provisiouns uppon peyne of prisonement. 1538 Fitzherb. Just. Peas 142 The statute of Kynge Rycharde the seconde..of prouisyon and premunire. 1612 Davies Why Ireland, etc. (1787) 62 The Bishops of Rome..drew away all the wealth of the realm by their provisions and infinite exactions. 1769 Blackstone Comm. IV. viii. 107 Papal provisions were the previous nomination to such benefices, by a kind of anticipation, before they became actually void; though afterwards indiscriminately applied to any right of patronage exerted or usurped by the pope. 1852 Hook Ch. Dict. 617. 1899 Reg. John de Grandisson III. Pref. 5 He held this Office till his Provision to the Bishoprick of Exeter. |
5. Something provided, prepared, or arranged in advance; measures taken beforehand; a preparation, a previous arrangement; a measure provided to meet a need; a precaution.
| 1494 Fabyan Chron. i. xcix. 73 Augmentynge his Kyngdome by knyghtly bataylles, and other worldly prouycyons. 1538 Starkey England i. i. 15 Excepte ther be joynyd some gud prouysyon for theyr [the seeds'] spryngyng vp and gud culture. 1561 T. Norton Calvin's Inst. i. xvii. (1634) 91 Hee hath given us provisions and remedies. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 497 By how much less the tender helpless Kind, For their own Ills, can fit Provision find. 1764 Burn Poor Laws 129 It will follow..that a provision which was proper for the time, may not be now effectual. 1832 H. Martineau Ella of Gar. ii. 33 There was no step for a mast, nor provision for a rudder. 1907 Q. Rev. Apr. 538 Trinity College is not, however, a sufficient provision for the educational needs of Ireland. |
6. a. A supply of necessaries or materials provided; a stock or store of something.
| 1451 J. Capgrave Life St. Gilbert (E.E.T.S.) 68 Þat þei [monks and nuns] schuld not fayle of here dayly prouysion. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lvii. 193 He..hath slayn my men & led awaye all my bestes & prouysyon. 1535 Coverdale Ps. civ. 16 He called for a derth vpon the londe and destroyed all the prouysion of bred. 1578 Bourne Inventions 3 He [ship's surgeon]..to have all such prouisions as is meete for his purpose in readinesse, to the end to dresse the hurt men. 1628 Digby Voy. Medit. (Camden) 59, I stayed here to gett some prouisions, as hoopes, tallow, tarre, pitch, wine, bread. 1690 Locke Hum. Und. iii. xi. §27 The Provision of Words is so scanty in respect of that infinite Variety of Thoughts, that Men..will..be forc'd often to use the same Word, in somewhat different Senses. 1715 Leoni Palladio's Archit. (1742) I. 57 The Wood, and other numberless Country Provisions. 1796 Morse Amer. Geog. I. 202 Here they deposit their provision of nuts and acorns. |
† b. transf. A warrant for such a supply.
rare.
| a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) Ff iv b, I sende the a prouision, to the entente that a shyp maie be gyuen the. |
7. spec. A supply of food; food supplied or provided; now chiefly
pl., supplies of food, victuals, eatables, and drinkables; in
W. Indies = ground-provisions s.v. ground n. 18 a.
[See 1451,
a 1533 in 6.]
| 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. (1637) 394 The English for want of provisions were forced to breake up Siege. 1671 Milton P.R. ii. 402 With that Both Table and Provision vanish'd quite. 1758 Johnson Idler No. 35 ¶8 She condemns me to live upon salt provision. 1773 Observ. State Poor 65 A period, wherein the price of provisions is exorbitant. 1808 J. Stewart Acct. Jamaica 100 Ground provisions (as they are called), or roots... These roots, or ground provisions, are so productive (particularly the yam), [etc.]. 1827 [see ground-provisions s.v. ground n. 18 a]. 1839 Penny Cycl. XIII. 75/1 A variety of wholesome and nutritious roots cultivated in [Jamaica] are called by the name of ground provisions; such as the yam [etc.]. 1860 Nares Naval Cadets' Guide 68 Wet provisions. Beef, pork, suet, vinegar, rum and lime juice... Dry provisions, Peas, oat⁓meal, chocolate, tea, flour, raisins, sugar. 1866 Morn. Star 8 Mar., Mr. Poland said..he should contend that tea was not ‘provisions’ within the meaning of the Act. Mr. Baylis said he should contend that it was. If a provision merchant were victualling a ship, and did not put tea amongst his provisions, he would not be considered to have provisioned her. 1955 Caribbean Q. IV. i. 51 A large number of the contractors used these payments to acquire small plots of land in which they planted cocoa, provisions, and later, nutmeg trees. 1965 ‘Lauchmonen’ Old Thom's Harvest i. 11 Bet we can grow some whopping good crop of provision on that piece of land, Pa. |
8. Each of the clauses or divisions of a legal or formal statement, or such a statement itself, providing for some particular matter; also, a clause in such a statement which makes an express stipulation or condition; a proviso.
Applied in English History to certain early statutes or ordinances.
Provisions of Oxford, ordinances for checking the king's misrule, and for the reformation of the government, drawn up at a meeting of the barons (nicknamed the Mad Parliament) held at Oxford, under the leadership of Sir Simon de Montfort, in 1258 (38 Henry III). Among the chief of these provisions were that parliaments should be held thrice in the year, and that four knights should be chosen by the freeholders of each county to ascertain and lay before parliament all wrongs committed by the royal officers. The refusal of the King to abide by these Provisions led to the Barons' War in 1264.
| 1473 Rolls of Parlt. VI. 74/2 So alwey, that this Provision be not available or beneficiall to the persones afore⁓named. 1523 [see provise n.]. [1701 Cowell's Interpr. s.v., The Acts to restrain the exorbitant abuse of Arbitrary Power made in the Parliament at Oxford 1258, were called Provisiones, being to provide against the King's Absolute Will and Pleasure.] 1781 T. Gilbert Relief Poor 14, I think some Provisions may be introduced into this Bill..for encouraging the Marriage of Persons who have been placed out by the Parishes as Servants or Apprentices. 1818 Cobbett Pol. Reg. XXXIII. 106 The principles and the provisions of the Bill would have shown..precisely what we wanted. 1827 Hallam Const. Hist. (1876) II. xi. 330 These provisions struck at the heart of the presbyterian party. 1878 Stubbs Lect. Med. & Mod. Hist. viii. (1900) 204 The half-brothers of..Henry III..had been banished in consequence of their opposition to the Provisions of Oxford. |
† 9. A commission or percentage charged on mercantile transactions by an agent or factor.
rare.
(So F.
provision,
Ger. provision, in same sense.)
| 1589 Wotton Lett. (see ed. 1907 I. 228), I have..two billes of exchaunge to his factor in Stode, there to receave the like summ in the currant money of that Cuntrie, without any manner of provision as the merchantes call it, a pacefied word for it. 1682 J. Scarlett Exchanges 135 For Courtagie of Exchanges, whether in drawing or remitting, usually one per mille is allowed for Provisions for drawing and remitting, each half per cent. Ibid. 170 Provision is the Reward the Factor receives from his Principal..for his trouble. |
10. attrib. and
Comb., mainly in sense 7, as
provision-bag,
provision-basket,
provision-boat,
provision book,
provision contractor,
provision-craft,
provision-dealer,
provision-depot,
provision farm,
provision farmer,
provision house,
provision importer,
provision man,
provision-merchant,
provision-money,
provision pit,
provision-sack,
provision shop,
provision store,
provision-trade,
provision train,
provision wagon;
provision-ant, the provident ant;
provision-ground, in the W. Indies, etc., ground allotted for the growing of food-stuffs;
provision-making, the making of provision;
provision pay, pay in kind.
| 1838 J. Hodgson in J. Raine Mem. (1858) II. 379 They were careful like the *provision-ant. |
| 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. II. xvi. 168 Our *provision-bags were of assorted sizes. |
| 1876 ‘Mark Twain’ Tom Sawyer xxviii. 268 The gay throng filed up the main street laden with *provision baskets. |
| 1748 Anson's Voy. iii. ix. 394 One of the principal thieves was..in a *provision-boat along-side. |
| 1922 Beaver Apr. 9/2 A record of the provisions stocked, with their weight or quantities, was entered as they were received in the ‘*Provision Book’, in which was also entered the allowances as they were given out. |
| 1800 Hull Advertiser 27 May 3/2 A *provision contractor of the first eminence. |
| 1849 Grote Greece ii. xxxviii. V. 45 Crews of the *provision-craft and ships of burthen. |
| 1834 Picture of Liverpool 73 Mr. Edward Thomas, *provision dealer. 1877 Harper's Mag. Jan. 284/2 They sold some grapes and apples and pears to the provision dealer in exchange for beef and chicken. |
| 1958 J. Carew Black Midas i. 9 At the back of the village were rice-fields, small *provision farms..and wild-cane reeds. |
| 1953 E. A. Mittelholzer in Caribbean Anthol. Short Stories 41 Hoolcharran had begun as a *provision farmer, and lived in a mudhouse. |
| 1766 Chron. in Ann. Reg. 155/2 Great damage was done to the *provision-grounds. 1871 Kingsley At Last xvi, The ‘provision grounds’ of the Negros are very interesting. |
| 1798 W. Tomison Jrnl. 2 Feb. in A. M. Johnson Saskatchewan Jrnls. & Corr. (1967) 108 The rest employed bringing ice for the *provision house. 1804 J. Ordway in Jrnls. Lewis & Ordway (1916) vi. 166 We continued building, raised a provision & Smoak house 24 feet by 14 f. 1903 N.Y. Times 15 Oct. 1 Deacon Cotten..was dickering with representatives of meat and provision houses for supplies. |
| 1885 List of Subscribers, Classified (United Telephone Co.) (ed. 6) 174 *Provision importers. |
| 1564 Becon Wks. Gen. Pref. A v, With hospitalitie, or *prouision making for the poore. |
| 1872 Boston (Mass.) Ordin. (1873) 193 The vehicles of market or *provision men. |
| 1858 Simmonds Dict. Trade, *Provision-merchant, a general dealer in articles of food. |
| 1683 Rec. East Hampton, N.Y. (1887) II. 131 For his Wages hee is to be payd the some of thirty five pound in *probision pay. 1692 S. Sewall Lett.-Bk. (1886) I. 7 Some of the Provision-Pay was Wheat, which I sold, for Indian Corn. |
| 1887 Courier-Jrnl. (Louisville, Kentucky) 3 Feb. 7/4 Within a very few minutes after the opening the crowd in the *provision pit increased. |
| 1854 M. Cummins Lamplighter xv. 115 Willie accompanied them as far as the *provision-shop. |
| 1796 Boston (Mass.) Directory s.v. Fletcher, *Provision store. |
| 1830 Reg. Deb. Congress U.S. 11 May 429/2 The *provision trade of the West. 1895 Crockett Bog-Myrtle & Peat iv. ii, The latest canons of..retail provision-trade taste. |
| 1896 Harper's Mag. Apr. 764/1 Blücher..found that he had captured..all the enemy's hospital outfit, his field-smithies, and his *provision-train. |
| 1765 R. Rogers Jrnls. p. viii, I tarried till August 26th, and was then ordered with 100 men to escort the *provision-waggons. 1925 G. Stuart 40 Yrs. on Frontier I. 97 Three days were consumed in getting together the equipment of men and horses with provision wagons and everything necessary. |
▪ II. provision, v. (
prəʊˈvɪʒən)
[f. prec. Cf. F. provisionner (1556 in Godef.).] a. trans. To supply with provisions or stores;
esp. to supply with a stock of food. Also
refl. b. intr. (for
refl.) To supply oneself with provisions; to lay in provisions. Also with
up.
| [1805: see provisioned ppl. a.]. 1809 A. Henry Trav. 47 Maize..is depended upon, for provisioning the canoes. 1818 Todd, Provision, to supply with provision. 1836 Tait's Mag. III. 428 Tempted to laugh at the style in which the Wyatts have provisioned. 1851 Dixon W. Penn xxiii. (1872) 203 Every man had to be provisioned for the longer term. 1859 Lang Wand. India 101 He raised a regiment of horse and provisioned it. 1903 R. Bedford True Eyes viii. 48 Why didn't you provision from home? 1928 Daily Express 11 Aug. 4/6 The main thing to remember in going to the islands is to provision-up for your stay well ahead. 1941 Pitman's Business Educ. Oct. 152 Without access to overseas supplies of oil, Germany has attempted to provision herself by the seizure of Rumania and by the invasion of Russia. 1973 Animal Behaviour XXI. 306/2 We suspect that the females were provisioning separate cells. |
Hence
proˈvisioning vbl. n.| 1868 Helps Realmah xii. (1876) 335 The provisioning of the town for a protracted siege. 1869 Freeman Norm. Conq. III. xiv. 339 An excellent point for the gathering and provisioning of armies. |