Etymology

From , from , variant of , from

Noun

1. A granary; a store of grain.

   That our garners may be full, affording all manner of store: that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets (Psalm 144:13, KJV)

2. An accumulation, supply, store, or hoard of something.

Verb

1. To reap grain, gather it up, and store it in a granary.
2. To gather, amass, hoard, as if harvesting grain.
   • 1835, Honoré de Balzac, The Lily of the Valley, Chapter 2

     I walked enormous distances...garnering thoughts even from the heather.

   • 1913, “Anton Berlage” in Catholic Encyclopedia, 1913

     He garnered the fruit of his studies in seven volumes.

   • 1956, Andrew North, Plague Ship, Chapter 14

     ...its fleet went out to garner in the elusive but highly succulent fish.

3. To earn; to get; to accumulate or acquire by some effort or due to some fact; to reap.

   He garnered a reputation as a language expert.

   Her new book garnered high praise from the critics.

   His poor choices garnered him a steady stream of welfare checks.

   • 1983, Ronald Reagan, Proclamation 5031

     This country will never forget nor fail to honor those who have so courageously garnered our highest regard.

   • 1999, Bill Clinton, Proclamation 7259

     President Roosevelt garnered the support of our working men and women...

4. to gather or become gathered; to accumulate or become accumulated; to become stored.
   • 1849, Tennyson, In Memoriam A.H.H., verse 82

     For this alone on Death I wreak / The wrath that garners in my heart;

Usage notes

The "earn, acquire, accumulate" sense should be read as a figurative extension of the original "harvest, gather" sense, sometimes with some inanimate achievement or choice metaphorically doing the "gathering", as "The new book garnered high praise", or with an indirect object, as, "The new book garnered the author high praise". In this sense, the achievement, choice, or fact is actively gathering something, positive or negative, for its creator, even if that choice is inaction, as in "Failure to try can garner you the disapproval of the industrious".