WordGarden.iogarnish
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /ɡˈɑːnɪʃ/
US
- /ˈɡɑrnɪʃ/
Meanings
Noun
a small decorative food item added to a dish or drink
Verb
to add a decorative item to food or drink
to legally take money from wages or accounts to pay a debt
Beyond the definition
Think of a chef placing a lemon wedge beside grilled fish or a little parsley on top of soup. That is the most common meaning of "garnish": to add a small final touch that makes food look better and sometimes taste better too.
The word can also mean to decorate something more generally, though this use is less common in everyday speech. In legal English, it has another important meaning: to take money from someone's wages or account by court order to pay a debt. So the word may suggest either a decorative finishing touch or the forced taking of money.
To garnish most often means to decorate food with a small finishing touch. Picture a plate just before it leaves the kitchen: a sprig of mint on a dessert, chopped herbs over pasta, or a slice of lime on the rim of a glass. These extra items are there to make the food look more attractive, and sometimes they also add flavor. As a noun, a "garnish" is that finishing item itself.
The word can also be used more broadly to mean decorate or adorn something, although this sense is less common than the food-related one. In older or more formal writing, you may see it used for adding decorative detail to something that is not food.
"Garnish" also has a separate legal meaning. In law, to garnish means to take money or property from a person by legal order so a debt can be paid. The most common example is wage garnishment, where part of someone's paycheck is taken to cover money they owe, such as unpaid taxes, child support, or other debts.
So the word moves between two very different settings: the kitchen and the courtroom. In one, it adds a final touch to make something more appealing. In the other, it refers to money being taken by legal process.
Examples
- 1
Soup topping
The soup is garnished with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
- 2
Cake decoration
She garnished the cake with fresh berries before serving it.
- 3
Food garnish
The dish came with a small garnish of pickled onions.
- 4
Wage garnishment
In some cases, a court can garnish your wages to pay an unpaid debt.
- Domaingarnish your wages
take money directly from your pay by law
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Figurative use
The writer garnished the story with a few dramatic details.
- Patterngarnish something with
add something extra, often to make it more interesting
See also
Similar
Shades of meaning
Contrast
- strip
- serve plain
Used with (collocations)
- garnish with parsley
- garnish a cocktail
- garnish a dish
Word family
Explore
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- garnishnounverb
Forms
- garnishedpast tenseverbnoun
- garnishespluralnounverb
- garnishing-ing formverbnoun