[a. Fr. alimente-r (14th c. in Littré). Cf. med.L. alimentā-re, f. alimentum: see prec.]
† 1. To nourish, supply with food, feed. Obs.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, xxix. 113. She hathe alymented and noryshed her from the owre of hyr birthe.
2. fig. To maintain, sustain, support.
1663. G. Mackenzie, Relig. Stoica (1685), Addr. There is Heavenly Mannah enough to aliment us all.
1789. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), III. 95. They will furnish him money liberally to aliment a civil war.
1842. Chalmers, Lect. Rom., I. 42. Not fitted to aliment the faith and the holiness.
3. Sc. Law and gen. To make provision for the maintenance of; to pension.
1629. Marriage Contract, in Rep. Hist. MSS. (1871), 168/2. To educate and aliment them according to their rank.
1837. Lockhart, Scott (1839), V. 320. They would have alimented the honest man decently among them for a lay figure.
1861. Sir R. Phillimore, Intern. Law (1874), IV. 239. To compel an English mother to aliment a child born in Scotland.
