Forms: 4–5 vyaunde, 5 viaunde; 4, 6 vyand(e, 5–8 viande, 6– viand (7 viond). [a. AF. viaunde, viande, OF. viande (= Sp. and Pg. vianda, It. vivanda):—pop.L. *vīvanda, for vīvenda, neut. pl. gerundive of L. vīvĕre to live.]
1. pl. Articles of food; provisions, victuals.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), xxiii. 253. Flesche and dyverse vyaundes.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 80 b. Then spices, fruites, ielies, and banket viandes wer brought.
1597. A. M., trans. Guillemeau’s Fr. Chirurg., 48 b/2. His viandes, or meate and drincke, must only be Diureticke.
1615. H. Crooke, Body of Man, 629. Whilst wee chew our meate the Tongue rowleth it selfe on euerie side of the mouth and applyeth it selfe to the Viands to take a say or Taste of them.
1646. J. Hall, Horæ Vac., 92. A good and strong stomack will convert course viands into good nourishment.
1691. Ray, Creation, I. (1692), 116. Neither of which Viands [honey and bee-bread] is any where to be found amass’d by Nature.
1735. Somerville, Chase, I. 154. Soon as the growling Pack, with eager Joy, Have lapp’d their smoking Viands.
1805. Med. Jrnl., XIV. 555. The means of inducing the invalid or convalescent to derive every benefit that arises from delicacy and variety of viands.
1854. Milman, Lat. Chr., IV. v. (1864), II. 290. He dashed the wine on the earth and scattered about the other viands.
1886. C. Bigg, Chr. Platonists of Alexandria, iii. 104. Viands of every kind … were provided by the liberality of the wealthier brethren.
fig. 1826. Lamb, Elia, II. Sanity of True Genius. Lane’s novels,… those scanty intellectual viands of the whole female reading public.
transf. 1870. Emerson, Soc. & Solit., Farming, Wks. (Bohn), III. 6. He will pamper his peaches and grapes on the viands they like best.
† b. Applied to a viaticum. Obs.–1
Compare sense 2 b. quot. 1555.
1607. Hieron, Bapt. Eunuch (1613), 7. To passe ouer the Sacrament of the supper, to some old people … who must take it (as was said in the daies of superstition) for their viands, being neerer (in opinion and possibility) to their last passage.
2. sing. a. collect. Food, sustenance.
c. 1450. Lovelich, Grail, xvi. 563. Othir viaunde hadde he non verament, But everiday swich as God him sente.
a. 1483. Liber Niger, in Househ. Ord. (1790), 17. His dayly dyet was not muche in sotyle and delicate vyaunde.
c. 1515. Interl. Four Elem., 465. I … oft refresshe nature agayne With delycate vyand.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. IV., 7 b. The same treasure [he] spent in folie, not paiyng pore men for their vitail and viande. Ibid., Edw. IV., 233. Euery table was abundantly furnished with all sortes of delicate viand.
1607. Shaks., Cor., I. i. 103. The Belly … I’ th’ midd’st a th’ body, idle and vnactiue, Still cubbording the Viand.
1643. Prynne, Sov. Power Parl., I. (ed. 2), 95. All things necessary both for viande and apparell.
1847. Tennyson, Princ., IV. 17. Before us glow’d Fruit, blossom, viand, amber wine, and gold.
1862. Calverley, Verses & Transl. (ed. 2), 46. Say I grow hourly thinner,… Tho’ I do try and absorb some viand Each day.
b. With a, etc. An article or kind of food. (Cf. 1.)
1527. in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. III. II. 128. Two small barrylls of a viande vsyd among the lordes here.
1555. W. Watreman, Fardle Facions, II. xii. 287. That euery christian manne, when he stode in any daungier of death,… should receiue it [the Sacrament] as a waifaring viande.
1658. R. White, trans. Digby’s Powd. Symp., 36. By this thin viand [the air], they came in less than a year to a foot long.
1704. W. King, Mully of Mountoun, 20. Thy White-wine, Sugar, Milk, together club, To make that gentle viand Syllabub.
1829. Lytton, Disowned, 7. Not a viand they had fed on but had its appropriate legend.
1849. W. Irving, Astoria, 320. Having made a ‘famous repast’ where this viand happened to be unusually plenty.
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., I. iv. After some discussion … a decision was pronounced in favour of veal-cutlet…. R. W. himself went out to purchase the viand.
† c. Viand rial, as the name of a dish, spec. one composed of paste, eggs, sugar, wine, etc., and ornamented with gold and silver foil.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), xviii. 193. of theise Snayles … men maken Vyaunde Rialle, for the Kyng and for other grete Lordes.
14[?]. Anc. Cookery, in Househ. Ord. (1790), 455. Viande Riall for xl. Mess. [Recipe follows.]
c. 1500. in Babees Bk. (1868), 376. Veneson in broth, viaunde Ryalle, veneson rosted.
