GARNISH

garnish, a word meaning to fit out, equip, furnish, now particularly used of decoration or ornament. it is formed from the o. fr. _garnisant_ or _guarnissant_, participle of _garnir_, _guarnir_, to furnish, equip. this is of teutonic origin, the base being represented in o. eng. _warnian_, to take warning, beware, and ger. _warnen_, to warn, eng. _warn_; the original sense would be to guard against, fortify, hence equip or fit out. the meaning of "warn" is seen in the law term "garnishee," a person who owes money to or holds money belonging to another and is "warned" by order of the court not to pay it to his immediate creditor but to a third person who has obtained final judgment against that creditor. (see attachment; execution; bankruptcy.)