Word Study
feed (root: fee)
CIDE DICTIONARY
feed, v. t. [AS. f, fr. f food; akin to OS. f, OFries. f, f, D. voeden, OHG. fuottan, Icel. fæ, Sw. föda, Dan. föde. Food.].
- To give food to; to supply with nourishment; to satisfy the physical huger of. [1913 Webster]"If thine enemy hunger, feed him." [1913 Webster]"Unreasonable creatures feed their young." [1913 Webster]
- To satisfy; gratify or minister to, as any sense, talent, taste, or desire. [1913 Webster]"I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him." [1913 Webster]"Feeding him with the hope of liberty." [1913 Webster]
- To fill the wants of; to supply with that which is used or wasted; as, springs feed ponds; the hopper feeds the mill; to feed a furnace with coal. [1913 Webster]
- To nourish, in a general sense; to foster, strengthen, develop, and guard. [1913 Webster]"Thou shalt feed my people Israel." [1913 Webster]"Mightiest powers by deepest calms are fed." [1913 Webster]
- To graze; to cause to be cropped by feeding, as herbage by cattle; as, if grain is too forward in autumn, feed it with sheep. [1913 Webster]"Once in three years feed your mowing lands." [1913 Webster]
- To give for food, especially to animals; to furnish for consumption; as, to feed out turnips to the cows; to feed water to a steam boiler. [1913 Webster]
- To supply (the material to be operated upon) to a machine; as, to feed paper to a printing press. [1913 Webster]
feed, v. i.
- To take food; to eat. [1913 Webster]"Her kid . . . which I afterwards killed because it would not feed." [1913 Webster]
- To subject by eating; to satisfy the appetite; to feed one's self (upon something); to prey; -- with on or upon. [1913 Webster]"Leaving thy trunk for crows to feed upon." [1913 Webster]
- To be nourished, strengthened, or satisfied, as if by food. Spenser. [1913 Webster]
- To place cattle to feed; to pasture; to graze. [1913 Webster]"If a man . . . shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man's field." [1913 Webster]
feed, n.
- That which is eaten; esp., food for beasts; fodder; pasture; hay; grain, ground or whole; as, the best feed for sheep. [1913 Webster]
- A grazing or pasture ground. Shak. [1913 Webster]
- An allowance of provender given to a horse, cow, etc.; a meal; as, a feed of corn or oats. [1913 Webster]
- A meal, or the act of eating. [1913 Webster]"For such pleasure till that hour
At feed or fountain never had I found." [1913 Webster] - The water supplied to steam boilers. [1913 Webster]
- The motion, or act, of carrying forward the stuff to be operated upon, as cloth to the needle in a sewing machine; or of producing progressive operation upon any material or object in a machine, as, in a turning lathe, by moving the cutting tool along or in the work. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
feed, v. & n.
--v. (past and past part. fed)
1 tr. a supply with food. b put food into the mouth of.
2 tr. a give as food, esp. to animals. b graze (cattle).
3 tr. serve as food for.
4 intr. (usu. foll. by on) (esp. of animals, or colloq. of people) take food; eat.
5 tr. nourish; make grow.
6 a tr. maintain supply of raw material, fuel, etc., to (a fire, machine, etc.). b tr. (foll. by into) supply (material) to a machine etc. c intr. (often foll. by into) (of a river etc.) flow into another body of water. d tr. insert further coins into (a meter) to continue its function, validity, etc.
7 intr. (foll. by on) a be nourished by. b derive benefit from.
8 tr. use (land) as pasture.
9 tr. Theatr. sl. supply (an actor etc.) with cues.
10 tr. Sport send passes to (a player) in a ball-game.
11 tr. gratify (vanity etc.).
12 tr. provide (advice, information, etc.) to.
--n.
1 an amount of food, esp. for animals or infants.
2 the act or an instance of feeding; the giving of food.
3 colloq. a meal.
4 pasturage; green crops.
5 a a supply of raw material to a machine etc. b the provision of this or a device for it.
6 the charge of a gun.
7 Theatr. sl. an actor who supplies another with cues.
--v. (past and past part. fed)
1 tr. a supply with food. b put food into the mouth of.
2 tr. a give as food, esp. to animals. b graze (cattle).
3 tr. serve as food for.
4 intr. (usu. foll. by on) (esp. of animals, or colloq. of people) take food; eat.
5 tr. nourish; make grow.
6 a tr. maintain supply of raw material, fuel, etc., to (a fire, machine, etc.). b tr. (foll. by into) supply (material) to a machine etc. c intr. (often foll. by into) (of a river etc.) flow into another body of water. d tr. insert further coins into (a meter) to continue its function, validity, etc.
7 intr. (foll. by on) a be nourished by. b derive benefit from.
8 tr. use (land) as pasture.
9 tr. Theatr. sl. supply (an actor etc.) with cues.
10 tr. Sport send passes to (a player) in a ball-game.
11 tr. gratify (vanity etc.).
12 tr. provide (advice, information, etc.) to.
--n.
1 an amount of food, esp. for animals or infants.
2 the act or an instance of feeding; the giving of food.
3 colloq. a meal.
4 pasturage; green crops.
5 a a supply of raw material to a machine etc. b the provision of this or a device for it.
6 the charge of a gun.
7 Theatr. sl. an actor who supplies another with cues.
Idiom
feed back produce feedback. feed the fishes
1 meet one's death by drowning.
2 be seasick. feeding-bottle a bottle with a teat for feeding infants.
feed up
1 fatten.
2 satiate (cf. fed up (see FED)).
1 meet one's death by drowning.
2 be seasick. feeding-bottle a bottle with a teat for feeding infants.
feed up
1 fatten.
2 satiate (cf. fed up (see FED)).
Derivative
feedable adj.
Etymology
OE fedan f. Gmc
THESAURUS
feed
abet, aid and abet, allay, appease, ask for, assuage, bank, banquet, barley, bed, bed down, bird seed, board, bran, bread, break, break bread, breed, bridle, brush, bunker, burn, care for, cat food, cater, cherish, chicken feed, chop, chow, coal, coddle, conflagrate, corn, cosset, count calories, countenance, cradle, cultivate, culture, curry, currycomb, deliver, depend on, detonate, devour, diet, dine, dish out, dispense, dog food, drench, dry-nurse, eat, eatage, eats, edibles, encourage, enkindle, ensilage, entertainment, explode, fall to, fan the flame, fare, farm, fatten, feast, feed the fire, fill up, find, fire, fodder, fondle, food, forage, foster, fuel, fuel up, fulminate, furnish, gas, gas up, gentle, give encouragement, grain, grass, gratify, graze, groom, grow, grub, hand, hand over, handle, harness, hatch, hay, hitch, hunger, ignite, inflame, invite, keep, keep in countenance, kindle, lavish care on, light, light up, litter, maintain, manage, mash, meal, meat, mess, milk, mother, nourish, nurse, nurture, oats, oil, pamper, partake, partake of, pasturage, pasture, pet food, pitch in, provender, provide, provide for, provision, provisions, purvey, quench, raise, ranch, rear, refection, refreshment, refuel, regale, regalement, rekindle, relight, relish, relume, repas, repast, rub down, run, saddle, sate, satiate, satisfy, savor, scratch, scratch feed, sell, set fire to, set on fire, silage, slake, slops, spoon-feed, spread, stir the fire, stoke, stoke the fire, straw, strike a light, suckle, supply, support, sustain, swill, table, take, tame, taste, tend, top off, torch, touch off, train, treat, viands, victual, victuals, water, wet-nurse, wheat, wine and dine, yokeROGET THESAURUS
feed
Provision
VB provide, make provision, make due provision for, lay in, lay in a stock, lay in a store, supply, suppeditate, furnish, find, find one in, arm, cater, victual, provision, purvey, forage, beat up for, stock, stock with, make good, replenish, fill, fill up, recruit, feed, have in store, have in reserve, keep, keep by one, keep on foot, keep on hand, have to fall back upon, store, provide against a rainy day.Food
N food, eating, deglutition, gulp, epulation, mastication, manducation, rumination, gluttony, hippophagy, ichthyophagy, (appetite), mouth, jaws, mandible, mazard, gob, chops, drinking, potation, draught, libation, carousal, drunkenness, food, pabulum, aliment, nourishment, nutriment, sustenance, sustentation, sustention, nurture, subsistence, provender, corn, feed, fodder, provision, ration, keep, commons, board, commissariat, prey, forage, pasture, pasturage, fare, cheer, diet, dietary, regimen, belly timber, staff of life, bread, bread and cheese, comestibles, eatables, victuals, edibles, ingesta, grub, grubstake, prog, meat, bread, bread stuffs, cerealia, cereals, viands, cates, delicacy, dainty, creature comforts, contents of the larder, fleshpots, festal board, ambrosia, good cheer, good living, beef, bisquit, bun, cornstarch, cookie, cooky, cracker, doughnut, fatling, hardtack, hoecake, hominy, mutton, pilot bread, pork, roti, rusk, ship biscuit, veal, joint, piece de resistance, roast and boiled, remove, entremet, releve, hash, rechauffe, stew, ragout, fricassee, mince, pottage, potage, broth, soup, consomme, puree, spoonmeat, pie, pasty, volauvent, pudding, omelet, pastry, sweets, kickshaws, condiment, appetizer, hors d'oeuvre, main course, entree, alligator pear, apple, apple slump, artichoke, ashcake, griddlecake, pancake, flapjack, atole, avocado, banana, beche de mer, barbecue, beefsteak, beet root, blackberry, blancmange, bloater, bouilli, bouillon, breadfruit, chop suey, chowder, chupatty, clam, compote, damper, fish, frumenty, grapes, hasty pudding, ice cream, lettuce, mango, mangosteen, mince pie, oatmeal, oyster, pineapple, porridge, porterhouse steak, salmis, sauerkraut, sea slug, sturgeon ("Albany beef"), succotash, supawn, trepang, vanilla, waffle, walnut, table, cuisine, bill of fare, menu, table d'hote, ordinary, entree, meal, repast, feed, spread, mess, dish, plate, course, regale, regalement, refreshment, entertainment, refection, collation, picnic, feast, banquet, junket, breakfast, lunch, luncheon, dejeuner, bever, tiffin, dinner, supper, snack, junk food, fast food, whet, bait, dessert, potluck, table d'hote, dejeuner a la fourchette, hearty meal, square meal, substantial meal, full meal, blowout, light refreshment, bara, chotahazri, bara khana, mouthful, bolus, gobbet, morsel, sop, sippet, drink, beverage, liquor, broth, soup, potion, dram, draught, drench, swill, nip, sip, sup, gulp, wine, spirits, liqueur, beer, ale, malt liquor, Sir John Barleycorn, stingo, heavy wet, grog, toddy, flip, purl, punch, negus, cup, bishop, wassail, gin, coffee, chocolate, cocoa, tea, the cup that cheers but not inebriates, bock beer, lager beer, Pilsener beer, schenck beer, Brazil tea, cider, claret, ice water, mate, mint julep, near beer, 2 beer, non- alcoholic beverage, eating house, diner, hippophage, glutton, eatable, edible, esculent, comestible, alimentary, cereal, cibarious, dietetic, culinary, nutritive, nutritious, gastric, succulent, potable, potulent, bibulous, omnivorous, carnivorous, herbivorous, granivorous, graminivorous, phytivorous, ichthyivorous, omophagic, omophagous, pantophagous, phytophagous, xylophagous, across the walnuts and the wine, blessed hour of our dinners!, now good digestion wait on appetite, and health on both!, who can cloy the hungry edge of appetite?, food, eating, deglutition, gulp, epulation, mastication, manducation, rumination, gluttony, hippophagy, ichthyophagy, (appetite), mouth, jaws, mandible, mazard, gob, chops, drinking, potation, draught, libation, carousal, drunkenness, food, pabulum, aliment, nourishment, nutriment, sustenance, sustentation, sustention, nurture, subsistence, provender, corn, feed, fodder, provision, ration, keep, commons, board, commissariat, prey, forage, pasture, pasturage, fare, cheer, diet, dietary, regimen, belly timber, staff of life, bread, bread and cheese, comestibles, eatables, victuals, edibles, ingesta, grub, grubstake, prog, meat, bread, bread stuffs, cerealia, cereals, viands, cates, delicacy, dainty, creature comforts, contents of the larder, fleshpots, festal board, ambrosia, good cheer, good living, beef, bisquit, bun, cornstarch, cookie, cooky, cracker, doughnut, fatling, hardtack, hoecake, hominy, mutton, pilot bread, pork, roti, rusk, ship biscuit, veal, joint, piece de resistance, roast and boiled, remove, entremet, releve, hash, rechauffe, stew, ragout, fricassee, mince, pottage, potage, broth, soup, consomme, puree, spoonmeat, pie, pasty, volauvent, pudding, omelet, pastry, sweets, kickshaws, condiment, appetizer, hors d'oeuvre, main course, entree, alligator pear, apple, apple slump, artichoke, ashcake, griddlecake, pancake, flapjack, atole, avocado, banana, beche de mer, barbecue, beefsteak, beet root, blackberry, blancmange, bloater, bouilli, bouillon, breadfruit, chop suey, chowder, chupatty, clam, compote, damper, fish, frumenty, grapes, hasty pudding, ice cream, lettuce, mango, mangosteen, mince pie, oatmeal, oyster, pineapple, porridge, porterhouse steak, salmis, sauerkraut, sea slug, sturgeon ("Albany beef"), succotash, supawn, trepang, vanilla, waffle, walnut, table, cuisine, bill of fare, menu, table d'hote, ordinary, entree, meal, repast, feed, spread, mess, dish, plate, course, regale, regalement, refreshment, entertainment, refection, collation, picnic, feast, banquet, junket, breakfast, lunch, luncheon, dejeuner, bever, tiffin, dinner, supper, snack, junk food, fast food, whet, bait, dessert, potluck, table d'hote, dejeuner a la fourchette, hearty meal, square meal, substantial meal, full meal, blowout, light refreshment, bara, chotahazri, bara khana, mouthful, bolus, gobbet, morsel, sop, sippet, drink, beverage, liquor, broth, soup, potion, dram, draught, drench, swill, nip, sip, sup, gulp, wine, spirits, liqueur, beer, ale, malt liquor, Sir John Barleycorn, stingo, heavy wet, grog, toddy, flip, purl, punch, negus, cup, bishop, wassail, gin, coffee, chocolate, cocoa, tea, the cup that cheers but not inebriates, bock beer, lager beer, Pilsener beer, schenck beer, Brazil tea, cider, claret, ice water, mate, mint julep, near beer, 2 beer, non- alcoholic beverage, eating house, diner, hippophage, glutton, eatable, edible, esculent, comestible, alimentary, cereal, cibarious, dietetic, culinary, nutritive, nutritious, gastric, succulent, potable, potulent, bibulous, omnivorous, carnivorous, herbivorous, granivorous, graminivorous, phytivorous, ichthyivorous, omophagic, omophagous, pantophagous, phytophagous, xylophagous, across the walnuts and the wine, blessed hour of our dinners!, now good digestion wait on appetite, and health on both!, who can cloy the hungry edge of appetite?.VB eat, feed, fare, devour, swallow, take, gulp, bolt, snap, fall to, despatch, dispatch, discuss, take down, get down, gulp down, lay in, tuck in, lick, pick, peck, gormandize, bite, champ, munch, cranch, craunch, crunch, chew, masticate, nibble, gnaw, mumble, live on, feed upon, batten upon, fatten upon, feast upon, browse, graze, crop, regale, carouse, eat heartily, do justice to, play a good knife and fork, banquet, break bread, break one's fast, breakfast, lunch, dine, take tea, sup, drink in, drink up, drink one's fill, quaff, sip, sup, suck, suck up, lap, swig, swill, chugalug, tipple, empty one's glass, drain the cup, toss off, toss one's glass, wash down, crack a bottle, wet one's whistle, purvey.
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