supplements

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of supplement.

   The textbook includes online supplements with practice exercises.

   Athletes often rely on protein supplements after training.

   Note

   One spelling, two jobs. As a noun plural it counts every kind of addition the singular can name: newspaper sections, extra journal issues, vitamin capsules, restaurant surcharges, even angles in geometry. The same letters also spell the present-tense verb, so a phrase like "clinic supplements diets" can be read either way. The surrounding words, not the ending, tell you which.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of supplement.

   The program supplements classroom lessons with hands-on workshops.

   He supplements his diet with leafy greens during the winter.

   Note

   The ending marks agreement with a single subject in the present: she supplements, the grant supplements. The verb takes an object, and that object is the thing being made more complete, not the addition itself. You supplement an income with freelance work, never the work with the income. When a "with" phrase follows, it names what is added.

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