furnish Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb give something useful or necessary to
    provide; render; supply.
    • We provided the room with an electrical heater
  2. verb provide or equip with furniture
    • We furnished the house in the Biedermeyer style

WordNet

Fur"nish transitive verb
Etymology
OF. furnir, fornir, to furnish, finish, F. fournir; akin to Pr. formir, furmir, fromir, to accomplish, satisfy, fr. OHG. frumjan to further, execute, do, akin to E. frame. See Frame, v. t., and -ish.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Furnished ; present participle & verbal noun Furnishing
Definitions
  1. To supply with anything necessary, useful, or appropriate; to provide; to equip; to fit out, or fit up; to adorn; as, to furnish a family with provisions; to furnish one with arms for defense; to furnish a Cable; to furnish the mind with ideas; to furnish one with knowledge or principles; to furnish an expedition or enterprise, a room or a house.
    That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Tim. iii. 17,
  2. To offer for use; to provide (something); to give (something); to afford; as, to furnish food to the hungry: to furnish arms for defense.
    Ye are they . . . that furnish the drink offering unto that number. Is. lxv. 11.
    His writings and his life furnish abundant proofs that he was not a man of strong sense. Macaulay.
Fur"nish noun
Definitions
  1. That which is furnished as a specimen; a sample; a supply. Obs. Greene.

Webster 1913