furnish

Etymology

From Middle English furnysshen, from Old French furniss-, stem of certain parts of furnir, fornir (Modern French fournir), from Germanic, from Frankish *frumjan (“to complete, execute”), from Proto-Germanic *frumjaną (“to further, promote”), from Proto-Indo-European *promo- (“front, forward”). Cognate with Old High German frumjan (“to perform, provide”), Old High German fruma (“utility, gain”), Old English fremu (“profit, advantage”), Old English fremian (“to promote, perform”). More at frame, frim.

noun

1. Material used to create an engineered product.
   The resin-coated furnish is evenly spread inside the form and another metal plate is placed on top. 2003, Martin E. Rogers, Timothy E. Long, “Synthetic Methods in Step-growth Polymers”, in IEEE, Wiley, page 257

verb

1. (transitive) To provide a place with furniture, or other equipment.
2. (transitive, figurative) To supply or give (something).
3. (transitive, figurative) To supply (somebody) with something.
   For, that the ordure, which continually gathers on the skin, would ſoon ſtop the pores of it, if the ſweat were not furniſht with ſome efficacious diſſolvent to open and pierce them. 26 August 1669, “[An Accompt of Some Books.] III. Ottonis Tachenii Hippocrates Chymicus. Venetiis in 12º.”, in Philosophical Transactions: Giving Some Accompt of the Present Undertakings, Studies and Labours of the Ingenious in Many Considerable Parts of the World, volume IV, number 50, London: Printed by T. N. for John Martyn[…], printer to the Royal Society, published 1670, →OCLC, pages 1019–1020