resupply
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /rɪsəplˈaɪ/
US
- /risəˈplaɪ/
Description
- refill
- restock
- replenish
Imagine a long journey - maybe hiking through the mountains, sailing across the ocean, or even flying a spaceship. After a while, food, fuel, water, or other important things start to run low. That is when you need to resupply. It means to get fresh supplies so you can keep going.
The word is often used for trips, military missions, ships, camps, remote stations, and stores. A truck might resupply a shop. A plane might resupply a base. A hiker might stop in a town to resupply before heading back onto the trail. The idea is simple: you had supplies, you used some of them, and now you get more.
To resupply means to provide more supplies again after some have been used up. It often refers to food, water, fuel, medicine, equipment, ammunition, or other practical things needed to continue a trip, operation, or period of work. The word is common in military, transport, emergency, and outdoor contexts, where running out of supplies can cause serious problems.
You might hear about a "resupply convoy" bringing aid to disaster victims, a "resupply mission" sending materials to a remote research station, or a cargo ship stopping to resupply a small island. In these cases, the focus is on replacing what is needed so people can continue safely and effectively.
The term is not limited to large operations. A camper can resupply at a trail town. A store can resupply its shelves after a busy weekend. A clinic can resupply its stock of medicine. In everyday use, the word usually suggests bringing in more essential items, not just buying something extra for fun.
People sometimes stretch the word in creative ways, but its main meaning stays concrete: getting more supplies. So whether it is a helicopter bringing food to a mountain camp or a driver loading fresh fuel and tools before the next stage of a trip, to resupply is to make sure the needed stock is there again.
Examples
- 1
Remote villages
The helicopter resupplies the mountain villages every week during the winter.
- 2
Search team
We had to return to base to resupply before continuing the search.
- 3
Aid delivery
Aid trucks were sent to resupply the camp with clean water and medicine.
Pattern
resupply + person/place + with + supplies
provide more of those supplies
- 4
Military logistics
Bad weather delayed the navy's resupply mission for two days.
Phrase
resupply mission
a trip made to bring more supplies
Forms and spellings
4 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- resupplynounverb
Forms
- resuppliedpast tenseverbnoun
- resupplying-ing formverbnoun
- resuppliespluralnounverb