victual

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   food or provisions, especially supplies kept for a journey, military force, or household

   The garrison had little victual left after the long winter.

2. 2
   verb

   to supply a person, place, ship, or force with food or provisions

   The merchants victualled the ship before its Atlantic crossing.

3. 3
   verb

   to obtain or store food supplies, or to eat

   The crew stopped at the island to victual before continuing south.

From Middle English vitaile through Anglo-Norman and Old French from Late Latin victualia ("provisions"), related to Latin victus ("food, livelihood") and vivere ("to live"). The c was restored to imitate Latin spelling, but the older pronunciation survived, explaining vittles.

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