To Garner Was to Store Grain
To garner is to gather or acquire. The noun meant a granary, and the verb kept the sense of gathering in.
To garner is to gather or accumulate, especially praise, support or information. The word was agricultural: a *garner* was a granary, from Latin *granarium*, and to garner was to store the harvest. The modern use is entirely figurative, and the building it named has vanished from the language.
- To gather or accumulate. *Garner support.*
- A granary (archaic). *A full garner.*
- To collect gradually. *Garnered a reputation.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | garner | Garner attention. |
| Past | garnered | Garnered praise. |
| Noun | garner | An old garner. |
| Related | granary | A stone granary. |
| Related | grain | Stored grain. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The film garnered strong reviews.Received and accumulated.
- Garner is usually followed by something positive.Praise, support, attention.
- Granary and garner share a root.Latin *granum*, grain.
Words from *granum*, grain
- Garner — to store grain, then to gather
- Granary — a grain store
- Grain — the seed itself
- Granule — a small grain
- Pomegranate — an apple full of seeds
From Old French *gernier*, from Latin *granarium*, a granary, from *granum*, grain. The verb developed from the noun.
Garner or garnish?
Unrelated. Garnish means to decorate, especially food, from a French word meaning to equip or fortify.
Is pomegranate related?
Yes, through *granum*. The name means seeded apple, describing the fruit's many seeds.