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v. ca·tered, ca·ter·ing, ca·ters v.intr. 1. To provide food or entertainment. 2. To be particularly attentive or solicitous; minister: The nurses catered to my every need. The legislation catered to various special interest groups. v.tr. 1. To provide food service for: a business that caters banquets and weddings. 2. To attend to the wants or needs of. [From obsolete cater, a buyer of provisions, from Middle English catour, short for acatour, from Norman French, from acater, to buy, from Vulgar Latin *accaptāre : Latin ad-, ad- + Latin captāre, to chase; see CATCH.] cater·er n. |
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