Supply Means to Fill Up
To supply is to provide what is needed. The Latin root means to fill up, and it also gives English supplement and complete.
To supply is to provide something needed. Latin *supplere* meant to fill up from below — to make good a shortage — and the same verb gives English *supplement*, something added to fill a gap, and *supply teacher*, someone who fills in for an absent colleague. The economic phrase *supply and demand* dates from the eighteenth century and became central to how markets are described.
- To provide. *They supply the parts.*
- A stock available. *Water supply.*
- Supplies — provisions. *Running low on supplies.*
- Supply teacher (British) — a substitute. *A supply teacher for the term.*
- Supply chain — the whole route from raw material to buyer. *Supply chain problems.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | supply | Supply the goods. |
| Past | supplied | They supplied it. |
| Noun | supply | A steady supply. |
| Plural | supplies | Medical supplies. |
| Agent | supplier | A local supplier. |
- The mill supplies three factories.The verb.
- Supplies were flown in.The plural noun.
- Supply exceeded demand and prices fell.Economics.
Supply and demand in brief
- Supply — how much is offered at a given price
- Demand — how much buyers want at that price
- Equilibrium — the price where the two meet
- Shortage — demand exceeds supply, and prices tend to rise
- Glut — supply exceeds demand, and prices tend to fall
Old French *supplier*, from Latin *supplere*, to fill up, from *sub-* plus *plere*, to fill — the same *plere* behind *complete*, *plenty* and *replenish*.
What is a supply teacher?
A British term for a teacher who covers for an absent colleague. American English says substitute teacher.
Are supply and supplement related?
Yes. Both come from Latin supplere, to fill up. A supplement fills a gap; a supply meets a need.