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Origin and history of procure

procure(v.)

c. 1300, "bring about, cause, effect," from Old French procurer "care for, be occupied with; bring about, cause; acquire, provide" (13c.) and directly from Late Latin procurare "manage, take care of;" from pro "in behalf of" (see pro-) + curare "care for" (see cure (v.)).

The main modern sense of "obtain; recruit" (late 14c.) is via the meaning "take pains to get or bring about" (mid-14c.). It had broader meanings in Middle English: to procure to slay was "cause to be slain;" procure to break, "cause to be broken," etc. The meaning "to obtain (women) for sexual gratification" of others is attested from c. 1600. Related: Procured; procuring.

also from c. 1300

Entries linking to procure

cure(v.)

late 14c., "to restore to health or a sound state," from Old French curer and directly from Latin curare "take care of," hence, in medical language, "treat medically, cure" (see cure (n.1)). In reference to fish, pork, etc., "prepare for preservation by drying, salting, etc.," attested by 1743. Related: Cured; curing.

Most words for "cure, heal" in European languages originally applied to the person being treated but now can be used with reference to the disease. Relatively few show an ancient connection to words for "physician;" typically they are connected instead to words for "make whole" or "tend to" or even "conjurer." French guérir (with Italian guarir, Old Spanish guarir) is from a Germanic verb stem also found in in Gothic warjan, Old English wearian "ward off, prevent, defend" (see warrant (n.)).

procurable(adj.)

"possible to achieve, obtainable," mid-15c., from procure + -able. Related: Procurability.

  • procurator
  • procurement
  • proxy
  • pro-
  • See All Related Words (6)
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More to explore

procurator
c. 1300, procuratour, "steward or manager of a household;" also "a provider" (late 13c. as a surname), from Old French procuratour "attorney, agent, proxy, spokesman" (13c., Modern French procurateur) and directly from Latin procurator "manager, overseer, agent, deputy," agent no
procurement
c. 1300, procuren, "use of improper influence," from Old French procurement "management, stewardship" (13c.), from procurer (see procure) and directly from Medieval Latin procuramentum. Meaning "process of bringing something about" (by the action of another) is from c. 1400. Mili
proxy
early 15c., procusie, proccy, prokecye, "agency of one who acts instead of another, office or authority of a substitute; letter of power of attorney," contraction of Anglo-French procuracie (c. 1300), from Medieval Latin procuratia "administration," from Latin procuratio "a carin
vituperation
find fault with," from vitiperos "having faults," from vitium "fault, defect" (see vice (n.1)) + parare "prepare, provide, procure..." (from PIE root *pere- (1) "to produce, procure")....
pare
and directly from Latin parare "make ready, prepare, furnish, provide, arrange, order; contrive, design, intend, resolve; procure...related to parire "produce, bring forth, give birth to"), from PIE *par-a-, suffixed form of root *pere- (1) "to produce, procure...
purchase
c. 1300, purchasen, "acquire, obtain; get, receive; procure, provide," also "accomplish or bring about; instigate; cause,...contrive, plot; recruit, hire," from Anglo-French purchaser "go after," Old French porchacier "search for, procure; purchase...
prepare
to make ready beforehand," from prae "before" (see pre-) + parare "to make ready" (from PIE root *pere- (1) "to produce, procure...The meaning "provide or procure for future use" is from 1530s....
suborn
"procure unlawfully, bribe to accomplish a wicked purpose," especially to induce a witness to perjury; also more generally, "lure (someone) to commit a crime;" 1530s, from French suborner "seduce, instigate, bribe" (13c.) and directly from Latin subornare "provide, furnish, equip
provide
early 15c., providen, "make provision for the future; arrange, plan; take care, relieve of needs, supply the needs of," from Latin providere "look ahead, prepare, supply, act with foresight," from pro "ahead" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward") + videre "to see" (from PIE root *w
engage
early 15c., engagen, "to pledge" (something, as security for payment), from Old French engagier "bind (by promise or oath), pledge; pawn" (12c.), from phrase en gage "under pledge," from en "in" (see en- (1)) + gage "pledge," through Frankish from Proto-Germanic *wadiare "pledge"

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Dictionary entries near procure
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