- cater (v.)
- 1600, from M.E. catour (n.) "buyer of provisions" (c.1400), aphetic for Anglo-Fr. achatour (O.N.Fr. acatour), from O.Fr. achater "to buy," orig. "to buy provisions," perhaps from V.L. *accaptare, from L. ad- "to" + captare "to take, hold," freq. of capere "to take" (see capable). Or else from V.L. *accapitare "to add to one's capital," from verbal stem of L. caput (gen. capitis). See capital.