provide
Other forms: provided; providing; provides
To provide means to give or supply. When you stay in a bed and breakfast, the innkeeper will generally provide you with a meal in the morning as part of the price of the room.
The verb provide generally means to make available or even to allow. The Constitution, for example, provides for protected freedom of speech. But you've probably also heard people talking about getting a job to provide for their family — in that case, to provide means to make money to pay for food and bills, or in other words, bring home the bacon.
Definitions of provide
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give something useful or necessary to“We provided the room with an electrical heater”
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types:
- show 149 types...
- hide 149 types...
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hydrate
supply water or liquid to in order to maintain a healthy balance
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charge
energize a battery by passing a current through it in the direction opposite to discharge
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date
provide with a dateline; mark with a date
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feed
feed into; supply
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calk
provide with calks
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fund
provide a fund for the redemption of principal or payment of interest
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scant, skimp, stint
supply sparingly and with restricted quantities
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terrace, terrasse
provide (a house) with a terrace
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dado
provide with a dado
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innervate
supply nerves to (some organ or body part)
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offer
make available or accessible, provide or furnish
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signalise, signalize
provide with traffic signals
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extend, offer
make available; provide
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stock
provide or furnish with a stock of something
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buy in, stock, stock up
amass so as to keep for future use or sale or for a particular occasion or use
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caption
provide with a caption, as of a photograph or a drawing
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tube
provide with a tube or insert a tube into
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ticket
provide with a ticket for passage or admission
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stock
supply with livestock
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stock
supply with fish
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rim
furnish with a rim
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fret
provide (a musical instrument) with frets
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step
furnish with steps
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rail
provide with rails
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grate
furnish with a grate
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capitalise, capitalize
supply with capital, as of a business by using a combination of capital used by investors and debt capital provided by lenders
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alphabetise, alphabetize
provide with an alphabet
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wharf
provide with a wharf
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air-condition, air-cool
equip with an apparatus for controlling the humidity and temperature
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uniform
provide with uniforms
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railroad
supply with railroad lines
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partner
provide with a partner
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bewhisker, whisker
furnish with whiskers
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subtitle
supply (a movie) with subtitles
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headline
provide (a newspaper page or a story) with a headline
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match
provide funds complementary to
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hobnail
supply with hobnails
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wive
provide with a wife; marry (someone) to a wife
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victual
supply with food
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cloy, surfeit
supply or feed to surfeit
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heat
provide with heat
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seat
provide with seats
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seat
put a seat on a chair
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ramp
furnish with a ramp
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arm
supply with arms
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interleave
provide (books) with blank leaves
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glass, glaze
furnish with glass
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crenel, crenelate, crenellate
supply with battlements
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causeway
provide with a causeway
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canal, canalise, canalize
provide (a city) with a canal
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bush
provide with a bushing
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brattice
supply with a brattice, to ventilate mines
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furnish
provide or equip with furniture
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slat
equip or bar with slats
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berth
provide with a berth
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bed
furnish with a bed
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computerise, computerize
provide with computers
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costume
furnish with costumes; as for a film or play
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bottom
provide with a bottom or a seat
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rafter
provide (a ceiling) with rafters
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tool
furnish with tools
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key
provide with a key
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fuel
provide with a combustible substance that provides energy
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provision, purvey
supply with provisions
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afford, give, yield
be the cause or source of
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equip, fit, fit out, outfit
provide with (something) usually for a specific purpose
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transistorise, transistorize
equip (an electronic circuit or device) with transistors
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upholster
provide furniture with padding, springs, webbing, and covers
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cleat
provide with cleats
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coal
supply with coal
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corbel
furnish with a corbel
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cornice
furnish with a cornice
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constitutionalize
provide with a constitution, as of a country
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copper-bottom
provide with a copper bottom
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curtain
provide with drapery
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gate
supply with a gate
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index
provide with an index
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articulate, joint
provide with a joint
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pour
supply in large amounts or quantities
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pump
supply in great quantities
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fire, fuel
provide with fuel
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flood, glut, oversupply
supply with an excess of
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toggle
provide with a toggle or toggles
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patch
provide with a patch; also used metaphorically
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water
provide with water
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leverage
provide with leverage
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tap
furnish with a tap or spout, so as to be able to draw liquid from it
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top, top out
provide with a top or finish the top (of a structure)
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reflectorise, reflectorize
provide with reflectors, such as chemicals
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retrofit
provide with parts, devices, or equipment not available or in use at the time of the original manufacture
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border, edge, fringe
provide with a border or edge
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machicolate
supply with projecting galleries
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sanitate
provide with sanitary facilities or appliances
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hat
furnish with a hat
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theme
provide with a particular theme or motive
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kern
furnish with a kern
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headquarter
provide with headquarters
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shelter
provide shelter for
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rig, set, set up
equip with sails or masts
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mechanise, mechanize, motorise, motorize
equip with armed and armored motor vehicles
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recharge
charge anew
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open, open up
make available
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date-mark, dateline, datemark
mark with a date and place
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date, date stamp
stamp with a date
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hook, solicit
approach with an offer of sexual favors
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fuse
equip with a fuse; provide with a fuse
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collar
furnish with a collar
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spur
equip with spurs
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fin
equip (a car) with fins
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motorize
equip with a motor
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motorize
equip with a motor vehicle
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plant
place into a river
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restock
stock again
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overstock
stock excessively
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understock
stock with less than the usual or desirable number or quantity
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stock
equip with a stock
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steam-heat
heat by means of steam
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reseat
provide with new seats
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reseat
provide with a new seat
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munition
supply with weapons
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rearm
arm again
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double-glaze
provide with two sheets of glass
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refurnish
furnish with new or different furniture
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bunk
provide with a bunk
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gas up
fill with gasoline
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refuel
provide with additional fuel, as of aircraft, ships, and cars
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bunker
fill (a ship's bunker) with coal or oil
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horseshoe
equip (a horse) with a horseshoe or horseshoes
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turn out
outfit or equip, as with accessories
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instrument
equip with instruments for measuring, recording, or controlling
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muzzle
fit with a muzzle
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kit, kit out, kit up
supply with a set of articles or tools
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appoint
furnish
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re-equip, rejig
re-equip a factory or plant
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refit
fit out again
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armor, armour
equip with armor
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accouter, accoutre
provide with military equipment
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wire
provide with electrical circuits
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shaft
equip with a shaft
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spar
furnish with spars
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stave
furnish with staves
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adorn, clothe, invest
furnish with power or authority; of kings or emperors
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domiciliate, house, put up
provide housing for
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kennel
put up in a kennel
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stable
shelter in a stable
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stall
put into, or keep in, a stall
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commission
put into commission; equip for service; of ships
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harbor, harbour
secretly shelter (as of fugitives or criminals)
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allow, allow for, leave
make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain
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type of:
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give
transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody
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give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or sustenance“The hostess provided lunch for all the guests”
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types:
- show 54 types...
- hide 54 types...
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staff
provide with staff
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drench
force to drink
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regale, treat
provide with choice or abundant food or drink
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board
provide food and lodging (for)
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feed, give
give food to
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feed
serve as food for; be the food for
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dish, dish out, dish up, serve, serve up
provide (usually but not necessarily food)
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cater
supply food ready to eat; for parties and banquets
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help, serve
help to some food; help with food or drink
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power
supply the force or power for the functioning of
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feed
provide as food
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gratify, indulge, pander
yield (to); give satisfaction to
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underlay
provide with a base, support, lining, or backing
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fill, fulfil, fulfill, meet, satisfy
fill or meet a want or need
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horse
provide with a horse or horses
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shower
provide abundantly with
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accommodate
provide with something desired or needed
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nourish, nurture, sustain
provide with nourishment
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fix up
find (something or someone) for
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gutter
provide with gutters
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humor, humour
put into a good mood
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man
provide with workers
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dine
give dinner to; host for dinner
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wine
treat to wine
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alcoholise, alcoholize
subject to the influence of alcohol
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live in, sleep in
live in the house where one works
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scavenge
feed on carrion or refuse
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fodder
give fodder (to domesticated animals)
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slop, swill
feed pigs
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regurgitate
feed through the beak by regurgitating previously swallowed food
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corn
feed (cattle) with corn
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malnourish, undernourish
provide with insufficient quality or quantity of nourishment
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overfeed
feed excessively
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spoonfeed
feed with a spoon
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force-feed
feed someone who will not or cannot eat
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plank
cook and serve on a plank
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drive
cause to function by supplying the force or power for or by controlling
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feast, feed
gratify
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spree
engage without restraint in an activity and indulge, as when shopping
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answer
be satisfactory for; meet the requirements of or serve the purpose of
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remount
provide with fresh horses
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lunch
provide a midday meal for
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breakfast
provide breakfast for
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breastfeed, give suck, lactate, nurse, suck, suckle, wet-nurse
give suck to
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bottlefeed
feed (infants) with a bottle
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sow one's oats, sow one's wild oats
live promiscuously and self-indulgently
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appease, quell, stay
overcome or allay
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inject
feed intravenously
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carry
be able to feed
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feed on, feed upon
be sustained by
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allay, assuage, quench, slake
satisfy (thirst)
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aliment, nourish, nutrify
give nourishment to
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range
let eat
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crop, graze, pasture
let feed in a field or pasture or meadow
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type of:
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give
transfer possession of something concrete or abstract to somebody
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supply means of subsistence; earn a living“He provides for his large family by working three jobs”
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synonyms:
bring home the bacon
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type of:
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support
support materially or financially
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support
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determine (what is to happen in certain contingencies), especially by including a proviso condition or stipulation
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make a possibility or provide opportunity for; permit to be attainable or cause to remain
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take measures in preparation for
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mount or put up
Pronunciation
US
/prəˈvaɪd/
UK
/prəˈvaɪd/
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘provide'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
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