supper

▪ I. supper, n.¹
    (ˈsʌpə(r))
    Forms: see below.
    [a. OF. soper, super, (also mod.F.) souper, subst. use of vb. souper sup v.²]
    1. a. The last meal of the day; (contextually) the hour at which this is taken, supper-time; also, such a meal made the occasion of a social or festive gathering. Often without article, demonstrative, possessive, or the like, esp. when governed by a prep. (to have supper; at supper, to supper, for supper, after supper).
    Formerly, the last of the three meals of the day (breakfast, dinner, and supper); now applied to the last substantial meal of the day when dinner is taken in the middle of the day, or to a late meal following an early evening dinner. Supper is usually a less formal meal than late dinner.
    (α) Examples with final stressing. Forms: 3 super(e, 3–5 soper, 4–5 sopere, soupere, (4 sopeer, -iere, sopper, 5 suppere, soupier, Sc. suppa(i)r, 8 local Irish seppear).

c 1275 Passion our Lord 90 in O.E. Misc. 40 Þo vre louerd wes isethe to his supere [rime ihere]. c 1290 Beket 1195 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 140 A-non after soper, Wel mildeliche he bad is oste for-to comen him ner. c 1305 Land Cokaygne 20 Þe met is trie, þe drink is clere, To none, russin, and sopper. 1338 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 44 Alle was wele, tille euen after þe soupere He ȝede about, & plaied with þo þat were him nere. c 1386 Chaucer Frankl. T. 461 He shewed hym er he wente to Sopeer, Forestes, Parkes, ful of wilde deer. c 1400 Anturs of Arth. xxvi, Dame Gaynour and alle, Went..To þe suppere [rime were]. 1425 Ord. Whittington's Alms-house in Entick London (1766) IV. 354 Both at meet and soupier. a 1430 Stans Puer 55 in Babees Book 31 At mete & at soper kepe þee stille & softe. 1463 Bury Wills (Camden) 21 He to prey for my soule at euery meel, mete or sopeer. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 223 The Coilȝear tald Mony sindrie taillis efter Suppair [rime bair]. 1788 Vallancey Voc. Bargie in Trans. R. Irish Acad. II. 33 Seppear, supper.

    (β) Examples with initial stressing. (But early prose instances are often ambiguous.) Forms: 3–6 soper, 4–6 souper, 5–6 soupper, sopper, (3–4, 7 super, 4 sopere, 5 sopar, sowper, Sc. souppar, 6 Sc. suppare), 5– supper.

c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 225 Þe monekes wende to bedde & slepe, þo soper was ido. c 1300 Havelok 1762 Hauelok he gladlike under-stod..And dide greyþe a super riche. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 829 Þenne seten þay at þe soper, wern serued by-lyue. 1382 Wyclif Luke xiv. 24 Noone of tho men that ben clepid, schal taaste my souper. c 1386 Chaucer Prol. 799 Which of yow that bereth hym best of alle..Shal haue a soper at oure aller cost. c 1400 Rule St. Benet (verse) 1583 Þat euer-ilkon wil of hir laue Þe third part til hir sopper saue. c 1440 Generydes 141 Anon vpon ther soper was redy. c 1470 Henry Wallace viii. 1180 To souppar went, and tymysly thai slepe. 1470–85 Malory Arthur i. xi. 50 They wente home and vnarmed them and so to euensonge and souper. 1483 Cath. Angl. 372/1 A Supper, cena. 1542 Boorde Dyetary viii. (1870) 249 After your supper, make a pause or you go to bedde. 1561 Winȝet Four Scoir Thre Quest. xviii. Wks. (S.T.S.) I. 84 Quhy mak ȝe ȝour communioun afoir dennar, sen our Saluiour institutit His haly sacrament efter suppare? 1588 Shakes. L.L.L. i. i. 240 When beasts most grase, birds best pecke, and men sit downe to that nourishment which is called supper. 1605 ― Macb. iii. i. 25 Is't farre you ride? Ban. As farre, my Lord, as will fill vp the time 'Twixt this, and Supper. 1606 Sir Gyles Goosecappe i. i, Captaine Fowleweather,..whose valours within here at super with the Countes Eugenia. 1606 [see dinner n. 1]. 1620 Venner Via Recta viii. 178 Our vsuall time..for supper..[is] about six. 1671 T. Hunt Abeced. Scholast. 13 After dinner sit a while, after supper walk a mile. 1707 Hearne Collect. 29 Sept. (O.H.S.) II. 54 He would not have Act Suppers any more. 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. vi, He sat down to supper among us, and my wife was not sparing of her gooseberry-wine. 1853 Kingsley Hypatia xix, At last hunger sent him home to supper. 1889 Harper's Mag. Jan. 294/2 The photographing of evening parties, suppers, and weddings. 1905 R. Bagot Passport x. 90 After a late dinner which was practically merely a supper.

    b. fig. and allusively. Phr. † to go to supper with the devil, to go to hell: cf. sup v.² 2.

13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 107 Þyse ilk renkez þat me renayed habbe..Schul neuer sitte in my sale my soper to fele. 1382 Wyclif Rev. xix. 9 Blessid thei, that ben clepid to the soper of weddingis of the lomb [1611 the marriage supper of the Lambe]. Ibid. 17 Come ȝe, and be ȝe gederid to gydere to the greet soper of God. 1502 Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W.) v. vii, The dyner or the souper of paradyse. ? a 1533 Frith Antith. (1829) 307 Notwithstanding it is to be feared that they go to supper with the devil. 1556 Aurelio & Isab. (1608) Pv, The Quene & the ladies put them againe together for to geve unto Affranio a verey bitter sopper. 1592 Arden of Feversham v. i. 188 But wherefore do you bring him hether now? You haue giuen me my supper with his sight. 1593 Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, v. v. 85 To London all in post, and as I guesse, To make a bloody Supper in the Tower. 1891 J. M. Dixon Dict. Idiom. Eng. Phrases, To set one his supper, to perform a feat that cannot be imitated or surpassed.

    c. U.S. Tea: see quots.

1818 H. B. Fearon Sk. Amer. 44 A mechanic..has 3 meals a-day, coffee with fish or meat for breakfast; a hot dinner; and tea (called supper) in the evening. 1859 Gosse Lett. Alabama 68 The meal which we are accustomed to call ‘tea’, is by Americans, universally, I believe, called ‘supper’, and it is the final meal; there being but three in the day. 1864 C. Geikie Life in Woods viii. (1874) 153, I chatted..till tea, or as they called it, supper.

    2. spec. a. the Last Supper (the Supper, † his last supper, † the holy supper): the last meal taken by Jesus Christ with the apostles before his crucifixion, at which he instituted the Eucharist (see b). † Our Lord's Supper Day, Maundy Thursday (Cena Domini).

[a 1300 Cursor M. 15281 Quen þis super was all don Iesus ras of his sette.] 13.. Bonaventura's Medit. 23 heading, Now of þe soper of oure lorde Ihesu. 1340 Ayenb. 133 Hueruore he zede to his apostles þe niȝt of þe sopiere, [etc.]. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints iii. (Andreas) 362 At his laste super sine sad he..‘ane of ȝou betrese me sall’. c 1421 26 Pol. Poems 104 Lyueliche quyk bred..Whyche in þe table of þe holy sopere, Wiþ-outen doute was ȝouen oure fay. c 1450 Merlin iii. 59 The place of Iudas, ther as he satte at the soper. c 1450 Mirk's Festial 125 Schere Þursday..in holy chyrch hit is called our Lordys supperday. a 1536 Songs, Carols, etc. (1907) 35 Most best belovid & beste be-triste, Which at his last soper did lye on his breste. 1843 Penny Cycl. XXVI. 339/2 In 1497 he [sc. Leonardo da Vinci] commenced his celebrated painting of the Last Supper, on a wall of the refectory of the Dominican convent of the Madonna delle Grazie. 1913 G. Edmundson Ch. Rome First Cent. vi. 152 It was after the Supper on the last night of the Lord's earthly life.

    b. the Lord's Supper, the Supper of the Lord, the Dominical Supper, the Supper: the Eucharist or Holy Communion.
    (The short form, the Supper, has been favoured by extreme Protestants since the 16th century. Cf. supper-sabbath in 4.)
    The source of this sense is 1 Cor. xi. 20, where the term is by many taken to include the agape and the Eucharist.

1382 Wyclif 1 Cor. xi. 20 Therfore ȝou comynge to gidere into oon, now it is not for to ete the Lordis sopere [Dominicam caenam, κυριακὸν δεῖπιον].

1533 Tindale (title) The supper of the Lorde After the true meanyng of the Sixte of Iohn and the .xi of the fyrst Epistle to the Corhinthians,..incidently in the exposition of the supper: is confuted the letter of master More against Iohn Fryth. 1549 Bk. Com. Prayer (heading), The Svpper of the Lorde, and the holy Communion, commonly called the Masse. 1553 Articles agreed on by Bishoppes 1552 xxix, The Sacramente of the Lordes supper [L. Sacramentum Eucharistiæ]. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 335 b, An open disputation..concerning the Lordes supper, and the presence of Christ his body. 1560 Bacon New Catech. Wks. 1564 I. 452 b, S. Ihon Chrisostom..hath these wordes. Forasmuch as it is the dominical supper, y{supt} is to say, the lords, it ought to be common. 1588 Art. agst. Cartwright in Fuller Ch. Hist. ix. vii. §27 The Censures, and Keyes of the Church, as publick admonition, suspension from the Supper, and from execution of offices ecclesiastical. 1764 A. Maclaine tr. Mosheim's Eccl. Hist. i. iv. §7. (1833) 36/2 Of the bread and wine presented in these offerings, such a quantity was separated from the rest as was required in the administration of the Lord's supper. 1854 H. Miller Sch. & Schm. xxiv. (1858) 533 The sacrament of the Supper is celebrated in most of the parish churches of the north of Scotland only once a year. 1861 W. L. Alexander tr. Dorner's Person of Christ i. i. §3. 167 We shall..not say too much if we designate the Supper the climax of the ancient Christian worship. 1878 T. L. Cuyler Pointed Papers 148 The Lord's Supper is the monument of the Atonement. 1908 Expositor May 423 Baptism and the Supper are perpetually present in the Church.

    † 3. pl. Short for supper-plates. Obs. rare.

1787 in H. Owen Two Cent. Ceramic Art Bristol (1873) 348, 6 doz. Table Plates,..4 doz. Soups,..3 doz. Suppers.

    4. attrib. and Comb., as supper-bell, supper-board, supper-box (box n.² 9), supper-dish, supper-fruit, supper-hour, supper-light, supper-meal, supper-money, supper-parlour, supper-room, supper-sherry, supper-table, supper-things (thing n.¹ 12 d), supper-tray; objective, as supper-eater, supper-lover; also supper-bar, a bar or counter at which suppers are served in a tavern, etc.; † supper-bed = supper-couch; supper club, a restaurant serving suppers and usu. providing entertainment; † supper-couch, a couch for reclining on at meals; supper dance, (a) a dance after which the man escorts his partner into supper; (b) a dancing party at which supper is served; supper house, an establishment which supplies suppers after the closing of the theatres; supper-party, a party assembled at supper, a social gathering of this kind; supper-quadrille, the quadrille danced just before supper; supper-room, a room in which supper is served; also = supper-house; † supper-sabbath, a Communion Sunday; supper-tavern = supper-house; † supper-while = supper-time.

1881 Instr. Census Clerks (1885) 61 Oyster Room, *Supper Bar, Restaurant Keeper.

a 1661 B. Holyday Juvenal (1673) 215 *Supper-beds,..Whose Brass-Front shew'd an Asse's vile head Crown'd. [note p. 222 In the ancient and innocent times, saies the Poet, they did not adorn their *supper-couches with pearls and curious shells.]

1770 P. V. Fithian Let. 30 Nov. in Jrnl. & Lett. (1900) I. 9 About seven the *supper Bell rings. 1825 T. Hook Sayings Ser. ii. Passion & Princ. v, The boys' supper-bell resounded in the hall. 1940 W. Faulkner Hamlet i. iii. 77 Walking on toward the brazen sound of Mrs. Littlejohn's supper-bell.

1918 G. Frankau One of Them xx. 154 Gay with a thousand *supper-boards, whose drink Was poured to rag-time tunes by Herman Finck.

1836–7 Dickens Sk. Boz, Scenes xiv, A numerous assemblage of ladies and gentlemen..had rushed from their half-emptied stout mugs in the *supper boxes.

1927 H. Crane Let. 19 Dec. (1965) 313, I don't think I'll dare attend that *supper club again. 1977 New Yorker 8 Aug. 66/3 Only after a time of heading a hotel and supper-club trio did he turn his hand to composing and arranging.

1885 F. C. Baylor On Both Sides 64 ‘A *supper-dance, then,’ he stupidly insisted. 1928 ‘Brent of Bin Bin’ Up Country xvi. 284 Thank heaven, here was the supper dance for which he was committed to good old Mrs Mac. 1948 M. Laski Tory Heaven viii. 110 ‘May I have the supper-dance?’ he had said to Penelope. 1979 S. Smith Survivor xxvii. 253 The Christmas Eve supper dance was one of the biggest nights of the year in [hospital] sp9.

1888 Doughty Trav. Arabia Deserta I. xxii. 594 A *supper-dish was set before me of mutton and temmn.

1799 Malthus Diary 29 May (1966) 37 We told him that we were no *supper eaters. 1888 J. Payn Myst. Mirbridge xxiii, Supper-eaters do not live long.

1667 Milton P.L. iv. 331 To thir *Supper Fruits they fell.

1814 Jane Austen Mansf. Park II. x. 227 Previous inquiries..about the *supper-hour. a 1843 Southey Comm.-pl. Bk. (1849) 557 Eight—the supper hour [temp. Charles II].

1855 Trollope Warden xvi. 265 It was a London *supper-house. a 1860 Alb. Smith Med. Student (1861) 17 Ruddy chops and steaks are temptingly displayed in the windows of the supper-houses.

1537 N. Country Wills (Surtees) 148 Three candelstickes for *soper lightes wrethid.

1829 Lytton Disowned xvi, Miserable *supper-lovers that we are.

1823 Scott Quentin D. xx, Durward..assigned his former pretext of a headach for not joining the household of the Bishop at the *supper-meal.

1598 R. Bernard tr. Terence, Heautontim. iv. ii, I will conuey into my fingers againe that *supper money that would so faine be gone.

1726 Leoni Alberti's Archit. I. 103/2 Baths and *supper Parlours..shou'd be towards the West.

1808 Monthly Pantheon I. 684/2 The more gay and fashionable may go to balls or *supper parties. 1822 T. Mitchell Com. Aristoph. II. 75 The conviviality of the Athenians made the torch a very necessary appendage to their supper-parties. 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair liv, He had been at a fast supper-party given the night before.

1835 Marryat Olla Podr. (1840) III. 131 Just before the *supper-quadrille,..a loud noise below..was heard.

a 1661 B. Holyday Juvenal (1673) 88/1 Dempster..takes agger for some eminent place in the triclinium, or *supper-room. 1794 Mrs. Radcliffe Myst. Udolpho xliv, They now returned to the supper-room. 1842 S. Lover Handy Andy xxi, The laughter of the supper-room, and the inviting clatter of its knives and forks were ringing in his ear. 1858 Simmonds Dict. Trade, Supper-rooms, shell-fish shops and taverns in London, where suppers and refreshments can be had, after public amusements are terminated. 1902 V. Jacob Sheep-Stealers x, The brothers..were watching a quadrille from the door of the supper-room.

1690 C. Nesse Hist. & Myst. O. & N. Test. I. 38 Upon the *supper-sabbaths whereon we all eat the same spiritual meat.

1863 Trevelyan Compet. Wallah (1866) 233 A four hours' lounge in a back drawing-room, sweetened by fine *supper-sherry at twenty-eight and six.

1781 R. F. Greville Diary 6 Aug. (1930) 12 At this time the distribution of the *Supper Tables was mentioned to Him. 1794 Mrs. Radcliffe Myst. Udolpho lvi, Round the supper-table appeared a group of faces smiling with felicity. 1862 M. E. Braddon Lady Audley xxxviii, In one of the principal hotels..sitting at a neatly-ordered supper-table.

a 1860 Alb. Smith Med. Student (1861) 41 The Toms, Charleses, and Henrys of the *supper-taverns.

c 1825 Mrs. Sherwood Penny Tract 10 She was putting away the *supper-things.

1847 C. Brontë J. Eyre I. v. 74 Monitors, fetch the *supper-trays! 1854 Mrs. Gaskell North & S. xvi, The wardrobe shelf with handles, that served as a supper-tray on grand occasions!

1575 Brieff Disc. Troub. Franckford (1846) 63 He had spoken..in *supperwhile, certeine wordes tendinge to the slander off them and their ministery. 1609 W. M. Man in Moone (1849) 43 All supper while..he peereth..into the platters to picke out dainty morsels.

▪ II. supper, n.²
    (ˈsʌpə(r))
    [f. sup v.¹ + -er¹.]
    a. One who sups or sips: chiefly with prefixed n., as † blood-supper = blood-sucker, kale-supper, wine-supper. Also (north. dial.), a habitual drinker. b. The sucker of a pump.

1524, a 1563 [see blood-supper]. 1535 Coverdale Joel i. 5 Wake vp ye dronckardes, & wepe: mourne all ye wyne suppers. 1611 Florio, Sorbitore, a sipper, a sooper, a swallower. 1611 Cotgr., Buvereau.., a bibber, supper, or sipper; one that drinks little, and often. Ibid., Soupape,..the Supper, or Sucker of a Pumpe. 1816 Scott Antiq. iv, Aiken was ane o' the kale-suppers o Fife.

▪ III. ˈsupper, v.
    [f. supper n.¹]
    1. trans. a. To give supper to, provide with supper; to entertain at supper; = sup v.² 3 c.

1622 Mabbe tr. Aleman's Guzman d'Alf. i. 108 Then did I supper my selfe vpon my bread. 1715 W. Shrigley in J. Byrom's Jrnl. & Lit. Rem. (Chetham Soc.) I. 29 We intend to dinner him and supper him round, and by degrees make him our own. 1814 Scott Wav. lxiv, Winna ye be suppered like princes? 1839 Hood Ode St. Swithin 74 They wish you on your own mud porridge supper'd. 1888 Pall Mall Gaz. 23 Apr. 11/1 They were ‘suppered’ under the presidency of Mr. Bailie Shearer on the Friday night.

    b. To give (horses, cattle, etc.) their evening feed and bed them down for the night; also with up: cf. sup v.² 3 a. Also fig. to give (a person) as much as he cares to have of something. Chiefly Sc. and north. dial.

1805 R. Parkinson Tour Amer. 68 Going to look at the horses after what is called suppering them up at night. 1816 Scott Old Mort. xxxvii, I ken weel what belangs to suppering a horse. Ibid. xxxviii, The horse was properly suppered up. 1816 ― Bl. Dwarf xvii, A bonny breakfast the loons gae me the ither morning, and him at the bottom on't; and trow ye I wasna ready to supper him up? 1877 J. Hatton Bitter Sweets xx, Harkaway had been duly ‘suppered up’. 1888 G. Macdonald Elect Lady 133 Dawtie found Andrew in the stable, suppering his horses.

    c. Of food: To serve for the supper of: = sup v.² 3 b.

1818 Scott Rob Roy xxx, Walter Cuming of Guiyock, wha hadna as muckle o' him left thegither as would supper a messan-dog.

    2. intr. To take one's supper; to sup.

1691 Meeke Diary 27 Aug. (1874) 43 This night we cut down all our corn, and many persons suppered here. 1840 Haliburton Letter Bag i. 14, [I] Tea'd, suppered, champagned, tidied myself for bed, and I fear—snored. 1891 ‘Annie Thomas’ That Affair III. i. 19 She has been suppering without intermission since Archie left her.

Oxford English Dictionary