Garnish

Etymology

From Old French "garnir" (to equip, furnish, adorn, or defend), of Germanic origin and kin to "warn" and "garrison." Food garnish adorns, but the legal sense — to garnish someone’s wages — keeps the older meaning of seizing or securing property.

verb · /GAR-nish/
To decorate or finish a dish with a small, often edible flourish.
What it names
The final touch — a scatter of herbs, a lemon twist — that signals care and lifts a plate from cooked to presented.
Example
He garnished the soup with a swirl of cream and a few torn basil leaves.
Related idea
Distinct from a condiment: a garnish is placed for looks and a light accent, while a condiment is a substantial add-on the eater uses to adjust flavor.
verb · /GAR-nish/
To legally divert part of a person’s wages or funds to pay a debt they owe.
What it names
a legal seizure of money owed
Example
The court ordered his wages to be garnished until the debt was cleared.
Related idea
From an older sense of the same French root “garnir,” to warn or give notice — quite apart from adorning a plate. Compare contingent, another word with a distinct legal life.