▪ I. provender, n.1
(ˈprɒvɪndə(r))
Also 4–5 provendre, 5 -dour, -dere, -dyr, 6 provander, prawnder.
[a. OF. provendre (13th c. in Godef.), a phonetic variant of provende provend.]
† 1. A prebend. Obs.
| [1306 Rolls of Parlt. I. 219/1 Le Roi & les ditz Countes & Barons..deivent presenter a les Provendres, & les Eglises Parochieles.] c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 419 Cathedral chirchis þat han prouendris approprid to hem. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VIII. 95 Þe monkes were disparpled, and what þey hadde was i-ordeyned to provendres to clerkes [L. in præbendas clericorum redactis]. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. iv. 32 And porchace ȝow prouendres while ȝoure pans lasteþ. c 1425 St. Mary of Oignies ii. vi. in Anglia VIII. 167/27 Anoþere..whan hee hadde a prouendour menely sufficient to hym..receyued anoþer prouendere þat was gretter of dignite and rentys. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 415/2 Prouender..(K. provendyr, benyfice, S. prebend, benfyce, P. probender, benfice), prebenda. |
2. Food, provisions; esp. dry food, as corn or hay, for horses, etc.; fodder, forage. In reference to human beings, now humorous.
| 1340 Ayenb. 35 Seruices ulessliche of hors, of carten, oþer prouendres to ham, oþer to hare children. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xiii. 243, I fynde payne for þe pope and prouendre for his palfrey. a 1400 Siege of Troy 409 in Archiv neu. Spr. LXXII, Provandre, corn and hay. 1547 Boorde Introd. Knowl. xxxvii. (1870) 216 The Camel..kneeled downe to haue eaten hys prouender. 1567 Turberv. Ovid's Epist. 91 b, And in unwilling mouth my meate and yrksome prawnder greene. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, i. ii. 11 They must be dyeted like Mules, And haue their Prouender ty'd to their mouthes. 1703 Maundrell Journ. Jerus. (1732) 2 Meat, Drink, Bed, Fire, Provender; with these it must be every ones care to furnish himself. 1836 Marryat Midsh. Easy xiii, The coxswain had examined the provender in the ship. 1863 Holland Lett. Joneses iii. 53 He..salutes any flag under which he can win plaudits and provender. 1907 Westm. Gaz. 3 Jan. 12/1 The vacant canonry of St. Albans—at present a stall without provender. |
3. Thieves' slang. (See quot.)
| a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant., Provender, he from whom any Money is taken on the Highway. 1725 New Cant. Dict., Provender, Money taken from any one on the Highway. |
▪ II. † provender, n.2 Obs.
Also 4 prouendere, -dre.
[In sense 1, ME. provendere, a. OF. provendier, -der (11th c. in Godef.):—L. præ-, prēbendārius prebendary, f. præbenda prebend: see provend n. In sense 2, perh. for provander, f. provand + -er1.]
1. A prebendary.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 81 Of þe þan is þis house Þat are was prouendere, now is religiouse. Ibid. 261 Neuer bisshop, ne person, ne riche prouendere [printed perronendere], Ne erle, ne baron, ne knyght, ne squiere. 1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love ii. ii. (Skeat) l. 50 Nowe is losell for his songes, personer and prouendre alone, with whiche many thriftye shulde encrease. |
2. A purveyor, one who provides supplies. rare.
| 1515 Barclay Egloges iii. (1570) B vj b/2 For if thou liue in court, thou must rewarde this rable... Butlers and Butchers, prouenders and Bakers. |
▪ III. † provender, a. Obs. rare—1.
(?) (Perhaps an error of some kind.)
| 1643 Milton Divorce iv. 9 Even then most unquencht, when the importunity of a provender burning is well anough appeas'd. |
▪ IV. provender, v.
(ˈprɒvɪndə(r))
[f. provender n.1 Cf. OF. provender to furnish with or to take provender, to provide with a prebend, f. provende provend.]
† 1. trans. To provide with a prebend or benefice. Obs.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. iii. 149 She blesseth þise bisshopes.., Prouendreth persones and prestes meynteneth. |
2. To provide (horses, etc.) with provender; to fodder. Also fig.
| 1584 Leycesters Commw. (1641) 151 The white Paulfrey when hee..is well provendred, is proud and fierce. 1641 Milton Prel. Episc. Wks. 1851 III. 90 Their resolved decree of reducing into Order their usurping and over provender'd Episcopants. 1707 Mortimer Husb. (1721) I. 207 That the Horse be well provender'd, and drink but little over Night. 1905 Holman-Hunt Pre-Raphaelitism I. 438 He had our horses stabled and provendered. |
3. intr. To partake of provender; to feed on. rare.
| 1819 Keats Let. 9 June (1931) II. 376 Infidel Rooks do not provender with Elisha's Ravens. 1891 C. Graves Field of Tares iv. vi. 241 Leaving the iron horse provendering on coal and water..we follow the footsteps of the man with the black valise. |
Hence ˈprovendering vbl. n., the providing of provender.
| 1620 Shelton Quix. (1746) III. xxv. 172 Let me make an End of provendering my Beast. a 1628 Preston New Covt. (1630) 183 The provendering of his horse is a dispatching of his Iourney. |