1. 
[syn: provide, supply, ply, cater]
2.  supply food ready to eat;  for parties and banquets; 
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Cater \Ca"ter\, n. [OE. catour purchaser, caterer, OF. acator,
   fr. acater, F. acheter, to buy, provide, fr. LL. accaptare;
   L. ad + captare to strive, to seize, intens, of capere to
   take, seize. Cf. Acater, Capacious.]
   A provider; a purveyor; a caterer. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
   [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Cater \Ca"ter\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Catered; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Catering.] [From Cater, n.]
   1. To provide food; to buy, procure, or prepare provisions.
      [1913 Webster]
            [He] providently caters for the sparrow. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]
   2. By extension: To supply what is needed or desired, at
      theatrical or musical entertainments; -- followed by for
      or to.
      [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Cater \Ca"ter\, n. [F. quatre four.]
   The four of cards or dice.
   [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Cater \Ca"ter\, v. t.
   To cut diagonally. [Obs.] --Halliwell.
   [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
cater
    v 1: give what is desired or needed, especially support, food or
         sustenance; "The hostess provided lunch for all the guests"
         [syn: provide, supply, ply, cater]
    2: supply food ready to eat; for parties and banquets
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:
28 Moby Thesaurus words for "cater":
   baby, bunker, coal, coddle, cosset, dance attendance on, feed,
   fill up, forage, fuel, gas, gas up, humor, indulge, minister to,
   mollycoddle, oil, pamper, pander to, provender, provide, provision,
   purvey, sell, serve, spoil, top off, victual