garnish
Garnish (verb) means to decorate a dish of food with a small extra item, or more generally to decorate or embellish something. Example: “Garnish the soup with a sprig of parsley before serving.”
How to use garnish
Learner’s notesDon't confuse with "garner," which means to gather or collect — garnish is about decorating (or legally deducting), not gathering.
Word forms
garnished past tense, garnishes plural, garnishes singular
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ the soup with a sprig of parsley before serving.
Etymology
From Old French garnir, "to furnish, adorn, or defend" — the same root that gives us "garment" and "warn."
Synonyms
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Rhymes for garnish
See all rhymes for garnish →Frequently asked questions
What does “garnish” mean?
The word “garnish” means to decorate a dish of food with a small extra item, or more generally to decorate or embellish something.
How do you pronounce “garnish”?
“Garnish” is pronounced GAH-nihsh (/ˈɡɑɹnɪʃ/ in IPA).
How do you use “garnish” in a sentence?
Here is “garnish” used in a sentence: “Garnish the soup with a sprig of parsley before serving.”
What part of speech is “garnish”?
Depending on how it is used, “garnish” can be a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “garnish” come from?
The word “garnish” comes from Old French. From Old French garnir, "to furnish, adorn, or defend" — the same root that gives us "garment" and "warn.".
How many meanings does “garnish” have?
“Garnish” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to decorate a dish of food with a small extra item, or more generally to decorate or embellish something.