resource

noun Etymology: French ressource, from Old French ressourse relief, resource, from resourdre to relieve, literally, to rise again, from Latin resurgere — more at resurrection Date: circa 1611 1. a. a source of supply or support ; an available means — usually used in plural b. a natural source of wealth or revenue — often used in plural c. a natural feature or phenomenon that enhances the quality of human life d. computable wealth — usually used in plural e. a source of information or expertise 2. something to which one has recourse in difficulty ; expedient 3. a possibility of relief or recovery 4. a means of spending one's leisure time 5. an ability to meet and handle a situation ; resourcefulness Synonyms: resource, resort, expedient, shift, makeshift, stopgap mean something one turns to in the absence of the usual means or source of supply. resource and resort apply to anything one falls back upon <

exhausted all of their resources

> <

a last resort

>. expedient may apply to any device or contrivance used when the usual one is not at hand or not possible <

a flimsy expedient

>. shift implies a tentative or temporary imperfect expedient <

desperate shifts to stave off foreclosure

>. makeshift implies an inferior expedient adopted because of urgent need or allowed through indifference <

old equipment employed as a makeshift

>. stopgap applies to something used temporarily as an emergency measure <

a new law intended only as a stopgap

>.