# garnish

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈɡɑɹnɪʃ/ · frequency rank #27,472

## Definitions
1. To decorate with ornaments; to adorn; to embellish.
2. To ornament with something placed around it.
3. To furnish; to supply.
4. To fit with fetters; to fetter.
5. To warn by garnishment; to give notice to.
6. To have (money) set aside by court order (particularly for the payment of alleged debts); to garnishee.

## Etymology
From Middle English garnysshen, from Old French garniss-, stem of certain forms of the verb garnir, guarnir, warnir (“to provide, furnish, avert, defend, warn, fortify, garnish”), from a conflation of Old Frankish *warnijan (“to refuse, deny”) and *warnōn (“warn, protect, prepare, beware, guard oneself”), from Proto-Germanic *warnijaną (“to worry, care, heed”) and Proto-Germanic *warnōną (“to warn”); both from Proto-Indo-European *wer- (“to defend, protect, cover”). Cognate with Old English wiernan (“to withhold, be sparing of, deny, refuse, reject, decline, forbid, prevent from, avert”) and warnian (“to warn, caution, take warning, take heed, guard oneself against, deny”). More at warn.

## Easily confused with
- **garnished** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/garnish-vs-garnished)
- **garish** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/garish-vs-garnish)
- **Garnier** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/garnier-vs-garnish)

## Common misspellings (11)
`agrnish`, `ganrish`, `garinsh`, `garnihs`, `garnishh`, `garnissh`, `garnnish`, `garnsih`, `garrnish`, `ggarnish`, `granish`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/garnish