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Origin and history of refreshment

refreshment(n.)

late 14c., "provision, provisioning; aid, encouragement; act or fact of refreshing; that which refreshes," originally mental and spiritual, from Old French refreschement (Modern French rafraîchissement), from refreschier "refresh, renew" (see refresh (v.)). Sense of "state of being refreshed" is by late 15c. Refreshments, of food and drink only, is by 1660s.

also from late 14c.

Entries linking to refreshment

refresh(v.)

late 14c., refreshen, "comfort, strengthen, restore; make as if new again (physically or spiritually)," also "provide shelter and refreshment" (to a guest, etc.); from Old French refreschier "refresh, renew" (12c.; Modern French rafraîchir), from re- "again" (see re-) + fresche "fresh" (Modern French frais), from a Germanic source (such as Old High German frisc "fresh," see fresh (adj.)).

Also from late 14c. as "restore (the body) to a good condition, reinvigorate" and in extended senses, of preparations, the memory, etc. Related: Refreshed; refreshing.

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    recreation
    late 14c., recreacioun, "refreshment or curing of a person, refreshment by eating," from Old French recreacion (13c.), from Latin recreationem (nominative recreatio) "recovery from illness," noun of action from past participle stem of recreare "to refresh, restore, make anew, rev
    refectory
    "dining hall," especially in a monastery, early 15c., refectori, from Medieval Latin refectorium, "place of refreshment,"...Also refection "refreshment, nourishment," all ultimately from Latin. Some survive in specialized senses....
    buffet
    The sense in English was extended to "refreshment bar, place set aside for refreshments in public places" (1792), then, via...
    pittance
    food; the extra food provided," also "a small portion, scanty rations," from Old French pitance "pity, mercy, compassion; refreshment...
    mitigate
    For mitis de Vaan suggests cognates in Sanskrit mayas- "refreshment, enjoyment," Lithuanian mielas "nice, sweet, dear," Welsh...
    canteen
    The sense of "refreshment room at a military base" (1803) was extended to schools, etc. by 1870....
    avarice
    be eager," from Proto-Italic *awe- "to be eager," from PIE *heu-eh- "to enjoy, consume" (source also of Sanskrit avasa- "refreshment...
    bite
    Old English bitan "to pierce or cut with the teeth" (class I strong verb; past tense bat, past participle biten), from Proto-Germanic *beitanan (source also of Old Saxon bitan, Old Norse and Old Frisian bita "cut, pierce, penetrate," Middle Dutch biten, Dutch bijten, German beiss
    snack
    c. 1300, snak, "to bite or snap" (of a dog), perhaps from a Northern variant of snatch (v.) influenced by Scandinavian words (such as Old Norse snakka); or perhaps also from or influenced by continental Germanic words such as Middle Dutch snakken, Flemish snacken "to snatch, snap
    collation
    late 14c., "act of bringing together and comparing," from Old French collation (13c.) "collation, comparison, discussion" (also "a light supper"), from Latin collationem (nominative collatio) "a bringing together, collection, comparison," noun of action from collatus, irregular p

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