garnishing
/ˈɡɑː.nɪ.ʃɪŋ/Adding small decorative or extra items to food, clothing, or a surface to make it look better. It can also mean attaching money or property by a legal order.
- She was garnishing the cake with berries.
- They are garnishing his wages for unpaid tax.
- The chef spent time garnishing each plate.
The act of decorating food, clothes, or other things with small extra details. In law, it can mean the taking of money by order.
- The garnishing of the dish made it look elegant.
- He learned simple garnishing for restaurant plating.
- Wage garnishing is not always legal everywhere.
Adinary Nuance
Garnishing is more specific than decorating. It usually means adding a small finishing touch, especially to food, clothes, or a plate. For money, it has a separate legal meaning, as in wage garnishing. English speakers often choose decorating for general beauty, and garnishing for the final detail.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- trang trí
- Spanish
- adornar
- Chinese
- 装饰
- Japanese
- 飾り付け
- Korean
- 장식
Etymology
Garnishing comes from Old French garnir, meaning “to equip” or “to adorn.” It entered English in the Middle Ages, first with the idea of decorating or supplying something.
Common phrases
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is garnishing the same as decorating?
- Not exactly. Garnishing usually means a small finishing touch, especially on food or a plate.
- Is garnishing formal or everyday English?
- It is common in cooking and legal writing. In everyday speech, people often say decorating instead.
- Can I use garnishing for food?
- Yes. It is very common for food presentation, especially in restaurants.
- What does wage garnishing mean?
- It means money is taken from a person's wages by legal order.