tr.v., -nished, -nish·ing, -nish·es.
- To enhance in appearance by adding decorative touches; embellish: a coat that was garnished with a fur collar.
- To decorate (prepared food or drink) with small colorful or savory items: garnished the potatoes with parsley.
- Law. To garnishee.
- Ornamentation; embellishment.
- An embellishment added to a prepared food or drink for decoration or added flavor.
- Slang. An unwarranted fee, such as one extorted from a new prisoner by a jailer.
[Middle English garnishen, from Old French garnir, garniss-, of Germanic origin.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
