cater

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• Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkeɪtə/
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• General-American: /ˈkeɪɾɚ/
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• US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• South-Asia: /ˈkeʈə(ɾ)/
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• South-Asia: /ˈkaʈə(ɾ)/
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• rhymes with -eɪtə(ɹ)
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• rhymes with (South Asia, also) -ætə(ɹ)
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• UK: /ˈkeɪtə/
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• UK: /ˈkatə/
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• US: /ˈkeɪtəɹ/
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• CMU ARPABET: K EY1 T ER0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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Probably ultimately from French quatre (“four”), possibly via cater (“change-ringing”), although Liberman argues for a derivation from a North Germanic prefix meaning "crooked, angled, clumsy" from which he also derives cater-cousin and, via Norse, Old Irish cittach (“left-handed, awkward”). He finds this more likely than extension of the dice and change-ringing term cater as an adverb, given the likely cognates in other Germanic languages. Caterpillar and caterwaul are unrelated, being derived from cognates to cat, but may have influenced the pronunciation of Liberman's proposed earlier *cate- or undergone similar sound changes.

Occupational surname, from cater, obsolete form of caterer.

From Middle English catour (“acater, provisioner”), aphetic form of acatour (“acater”), from Old French acater (“to buy, to purchase”). Equivalent to cate + -er.

From French quatre (“four”). Doublet of cuatro.

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Japanese: ケイト (keito) — four of cards or dice
• Korean: 케이트 (keiteu) — four of cards or dice
• Polish: kwadr — four of cards or dice
• Polish: kwater — four of cards or dice
• Portuguese: quadra — four of cards or dice
• Esperanto: provianti — to provide food for a special occasion as a professional service
• Finnish: järjestää ruokatarjoilu — to provide food for a special occasion as a professional service
• French: faire traiteur — to provide food for a special occasion as a professional service
• Russian: обслу́живать (obslúživatʹ) — to provide food for a special occasion as a professional service
• Russian: обеспе́чивать (obespéčivatʹ) — to provide food for a special occasion as a professional service
• Spanish: proveer comida para — to provide food for a special occasion as a professional service
• Spanish: hacer el catering — to provide food for a special occasion as a professional service
• Spanish: hacer la banquetería — to provide food for a special occasion as a professional service
• Spanish: ser el banquetero — to provide food for a special occasion as a professional service
• Ukrainian: обслуго́вувати (obsluhóvuvaty) — to provide food for a special occasion as a professional service
• Ukrainian: обслужи́ти (obslužýty) — to provide food for a special occasion as a professional service
• Bulgarian: угаждам (ugaždam) — provide anything required or desired
• Catalan: atendre — provide anything required or desired
• Finnish: ottaa huomioon — provide anything required or desired
• French: pourvoir — provide anything required or desired
• French: satisfaire — provide anything required or desired
• German: versorgen — provide anything required or desired
• Occitan: provesir — provide anything required or desired
• Occitan: dotar — provide anything required or desired
• Occitan: subvenir — provide anything required or desired
• Occitan: aprovesir — provide anything required or desired
• Portuguese: prover — provide anything required or desired
• Portuguese: servir — provide anything required or desired
• Portuguese: satisfazer — provide anything required or desired
• Russian: обслу́живать (obslúživatʹ) — provide anything required or desired
• Russian: угожда́ть (ugoždátʹ) — provide anything required or desired
• Russian: потво́рствовать (potvórstvovatʹ) — provide anything required or desired
• Spanish: complacer — provide anything required or desired
• Spanish: acorrer — provide anything required or desired
• Ukrainian: обслуго́вувати (obsluhóvuvaty) — provide anything required or desired
• Ukrainian: обслужи́ти (obslužýty) — provide anything required or desired