First Known Use: 14th century
Dictionary
1supply
verb sup·ply \sə-ˈplī\
: to make (something) available to be used : to provide someone or something with (something that is needed or wanted)
sup·pliedsup·ply·ing
Full Definition of SUPPLY
transitive verb
1
: to add as a supplement
2
[Middle French souploier, alteration of soupplier] a : to provide for : satisfy <laws by which the material wants of men are supplied — Bulletin of Bates College> b : to make available for use : provide <supplied the necessary funds> c : to satisfy the needs or wishes of d : to furnish (organs, tissues, or cells) with a vital element (as blood or nerve fibers)
3
: to substitute for another in; specifically : to serve as a supply in (a church or pulpit)
intransitive verb
: to serve as a supply or substitute
— sup·pli·er \-ˈplī(-ə)r\ noun
See supply defined for English-language learners
See supply defined for kids
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Origin of SUPPLY
Related to SUPPLY
Rhymes with SUPPLY
aby, agley, air-dry, Alai, ally, Altai, anti, apply, assai, awry, aye-aye, Bacchae, Baha'i, banzai, barfly, bee fly, Belgae, belie, bigeye, big lie, black eye, blackfly, black tie, blow-dry, blowby, blowfly, blue-sky, Bo Hai, bone-dry, bonsai, botfly, Brunei, buckeye, bugeye, bye-bye, canaille, catchfly, cat's-eye, Chennai, chess pie, Chiang Mai, cockeye, cockshy, come by, comply, cow pie, crane fly, cross-eye, deadeye, decry, deep-fry, deep-sky, deerfly, defy, Delphi, deny, descry, do by, dong quai, drip-dry, drop by, dry eye, dry fly, elhi, Eli, espy, face fly, firefly, fish-eye, flesh fly, flyby, fly high, forby, freeze-dry, frogeye, fruit fly, gadfly, gallfly, get by, GI, glass eye, go by, good-bye, greenfly, grisaille, gun-shy, Haggai, Hawkeye, heel fly, hereby, hi-fi, hog-tie, horn fly, horsefly, housefly, imply, jai alai, July, Karzai, Kasai, knee-high, lanai, Lanai, lay-by, lay by, Lehigh, let fly, Levi, lie by, magpie, mai tai, mao-tai, Masai, mayfly, medfly, mind's eye, Moirai, mooneye, Mumbai, my eye, nearby, necktie, nilgai, nisi, outbye, outcry, oxeye, pad thai, Panay, panfry, Parcae, piece-dye, pigsty, pinkeye, Po Hai, pop eye, pop fly, potpie, put by, Qinghai, quasi, rabbi, red-eye, rely, reply, rib eye, ride high, rocaille, rough-dry, run dry, Sakai, sand fly, sci-fi, screw eye, semi, Sendai, serai, set by, shanghai, Shanghai, sheep's eye, shoofly, shut-eye, Sinai, sky-high, small-fry, stand by, standby, stir-fry, string tie, swear by, terai, test-fly, thereby, tie-dye, titi, tongue-tie, Transkei, twist tie, two-ply, untie, vat dye, Versailles, walleye, well-nigh, whereby, whitefly, wild rye, wise guy
2supply
noun
: the amount of something that is available to be used
supplies : things (such as food, equipment, fuel, etc.) that are needed for a particular purpose and that will be used by a particular person or group
: the process or system by which something is provided to a person, place, etc.
plural supplies
Full Definition of SUPPLY
1
obsolete : assistance, succor
2
a obsolete : reinforcements —often used in plural b : a member of the clergy filling a vacant pulpit temporarily c : the quantity or amount (as of a commodity) needed or available <beer was in short supply in that hot weather — Nevil Shute> d : provisions, stores —usually used in plural
3
: the act or process of filling a want or need <engaged in the supply of raw materials to industry>
4
: the quantities of goods or services offered for sale at a particular time or at one price
5
: something that maintains or constitutes a supply
See supply defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of SUPPLY
15th century
SUPPLIER Defined for Kids
1supply
verb sup·ply \sə-ˈplī\
sup·pliedsup·ply·ing
Definition of SUPPLY for Kids
1
: to provide for : satisfy <There is enough to supply the demand.>
2
: to make available : furnish <The tree supplies shade.>
2supply
noun
plural sup·plies
Definition of SUPPLY for Kids
1
: the amount of something that is needed or can be gotten <medical supplies>
2
: 2store 3 <I keep a supply of pencils in my desk.>
3
: the act or process of providing something <The company is engaged in the supply of raw materials.>
Medical Dictionary
supply
transitive verb sup·ply \sə-ˈplī\
sup·pliedsup·ply·ing
Medical Definition of SUPPLY
: to furnish (organs, tissues, or cells) with a vital element (as blood or nerve fibers)—used of nerves and blood vessels <the mandibular foramen transmits blood vessels and nerves supplying the lower teeth>
Learn More About SUPPLY
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