victualling

victualling is the present participle and gerund of victual.

Noun

victualling (uncountable)

(especially) The process of supplying food.
- The High Treasurer of the Armie […] hath […] the superintendencie of the victualling of the campe […]1598, Robert Barret, The Theorike and Practike of Moderne Warres, London: William Posonby, Book 5, Dialogue 4, p. 164
- […] Lieutenant Hirsch appeared with a sheaf of signals in his hand. He took these from the young man and read them through. Mostly they dealt with routine matters of the fuelling and victualling, but one from the Third Naval Member’s office was unexpected.1957, Neville Shute, chapter 2, in On the Beach, New York: William Morrow & Co
(especially) Provisions of food.
- Zosymas a monke is commended […] for the miracle of the Lyon, who slew the Asse that caried his victualing to Caesarea, and likewise the Lyon by his mandate was compelled to beare that same burden which the Asse had borne to the portes of Caesarea.1624, Patrick Simson (editor), The Historie of the Church, London: John Bellamie, Book 2, Centurie VI, p. 361
- He was oblig’d often to set upon the Enemy, and skirmish with them; for he wanted both Victualling for his Men, and Forage for his Horse […]1693, George Smalridge, “Julius Caesar”, in Plutarch’s Lives, Translated from the Greek by Several Hands, volume 4, London: Jacob Tonson, page 459

victual (third-person singular simple present victuals, present participle (US) victualing or (UK) victualling, simple past and past participle (US) victualed or (UK) victualled)

(archaic, reflexive, transitive) To provide (military troops, a place, a ship, etc., or oneself) with a stock of victuals or food; to provision.
- [T]hy louing voyage / Is but for two moneths victuall’d: […]c. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount...
(archaic, intransitive) To lay in or procure food supplies.
- [Letter from Sir William Drury to Sir William Cecil, 3d April 1568 (Julian calendar).] The Lord Fleming [i.e., John Fleming, 5th Lord Fleming], notwithstanding he still victualleth and maketh provision, he hath offered three personages of as great livehood as himself to enter caution and surety...1568 April 13, William Drury, “Containing Matters of State from the Earl of Moray’s Acceptation of the Regency in the Month of August 1567, till the Queen’s Retreat into England in the Month of May...
(archaic, intransitive) To eat.
- I have Drank and Victual’d at Sir Humphrey’s for a Months Famine I am to endure here—I am hung round with Bottles and ſtuft full of Proviſion; will you eat a Pullet?1680, Tho[mas] Shadwell, The Woman-Captain: A Comedy […], London: […] Samuel Carr, […], →OCLC, Act II, page 20

alternative form	victualing

What does victualling mean?: Victualling means the process of supplying food.
What is victualling the present participle and gerund of?: Victualling is the present participle and gerund of victual.
What part of speech is victualling?: Victualling is a noun.

Adapted from Wiktionary: victualling (page history and authors); victual (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this entry: “victualling.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/victualling. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.