refreshmentn.

Etymology: Partly < Anglo-Norman refresement, refresschement, refresshement, Anglo-Norman and Middle French refreschement, etc., supplies (1383 or earlier in Anglo-Norman), nourishment (a1389), encouragement (a1412 or earlier in Anglo-Norman), pleasant thing, comfort (1438; 13th cent. in an isolated attestation in Old French in this sense; also in Anglo-Norman in senses ‘action of cooling’ (1354 or earlier), ‘allocation’ (a1443 or earlier); < refrescher , etc. refresh v. + -ment -ment suffix), and partly < refresh v. + -ment suffix, partly after Middle French rafreschissement, etc. (French rafraîchissement) fact of being physically refreshed through food, drink, and rest (13th cent. in Old French), action of repairing, renovating (1373), (as plural) provisions of food, particularly those intended to give strength to an army (1387), provision of fresh supplies (a1393), action or an instance of refreshing the memory (1455), reminder (a1475), relief (from a duty) (1562), re-enactment of a law (1588), and partly after Middle French refreschissement, refraichissement, etc. (French †refreschissement, †refraichissement) action of refreshing a person or thing (1378 with reference to the re-enactment of a law), renovation (of a building, etc.) (early 16th cent.), provisions supplied to an army (16th cent.), fact of being physically refreshed through food, drink, and rest (1546), renewal (a1553), action of making fresher (a1561). Compare Old Occitan refrescamen, Catalan refrescament (14th cent.), Spanish refrescamiento (14th cent.), Portuguese refrescamento (1446), Italian rinfrescamento (14th cent.).