Emily Dickinson Lexicon

PRO-VIDE, v.t. [L. provideo, literally to see before; pro and video, to see; Fr. pourvoir; It. provvedere; Sp. proveer; Port. provêr.]

1. To procure beforehand; to get, collect or make ready for future use; to prepare. Abraham said, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt-offering. – Gen. xxii. Provide neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses. – Matth. x. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. – Rom. xii.
2. To furnish; to supply; followed by with. Rome, by the care of the magistrates, was well provided with corn. – Arbuthnot. Provided of is now obsolete.
3. To stipulate previously. The agreement provides that the party shall incur no loss.
4. To make a previous conditional stipulation. [See Provided.]
5. To foresee; a Latinism. [Not in use.] – B. Jonson.
6. Provide, in a transitive sense, is followed by against or for. We provide warm clothing against the inclemencies of the weather; we provide necessaries against a time of need; or we provide warm clothing for winter, &c.