feeding

Variant of feed

feed definition

feed (fēd)

transitive verb fed, feeding feed′·ing

  1. to give food to; provide food for
    1. to provide as food to feed oats to horses
    2. to serve as food for
  2. to provide something necessary for the growth, development, or existence of; nourish; sustain to feed one's anger
  3. to provide (material to be used up, processed, etc.) to feed coal into a stove
  4. to provide with material feed the stove
  5. to provide satisfaction for; gratify to feed one's vanity
  6. Sports to pass (the ball, puck, etc.) to (a teammate intending to make a shot, try for a goal, etc.)
  7. Theater to supply (an actor) with (cue lines)

Etymology: ME feden < OE fedan < base of foda, food

intransitive verb

  1. to eat: said chiefly of animals
  2. to flow steadily, as into a machine for use, processing, etc.

noun

    1. food given to animals; fodder
    2. the amount of fodder given at one time
    1. the material fed into a machine
    2. the part of the machine supplying this material
    3. the supplying of this material
  1. Informal a meal
  2. Radio, TV a transmission by satellite, land lines, etc., as that sent by a network to individual stations for broadcast
feed Idioms

feed on

or feed upon
  1. to take as food; eat: said chiefly of animals
  2. to get satisfaction, support, etc. from

off one's feed

Slang without appetite for food; somewhat sick

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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