food Hear it!

Jump To: synonymsSynonyms · examplesUsage Examples · quotesQuotes · linkLink/Cite
Also found in: medicalAH Medical Dictionary
food definition

food (fo̵̅o̅d)

noun

  1. any substance taken into and assimilated by a plant or animal to keep it alive and enable it to grow and repair tissue; nourishment; nutriment
  2. solid substances of this sort
  3. a specified kind of food
  4. anything that nourishes or stimulates; whatever helps something to keep active, grow, etc. food for thought

Etymology: ME fode < OE foda < IE pāt-, to feed, eat < base *pā-, to pasture cattle > L pastor, pabulum, pascere, to feed, panis, bread

adjective

  1. of or relating to food
  2. used as food

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

medical food definition - medical

food Synonyms

food

n.

nourishment, sustenance, victuals, diet, fare, foodstuffs, nutriment, refreshment, edibles, comestibles, viands, provisions, stores, rations, ration, cuisine, cooking, menu, meat and drink, meat, bread, table, subsistence, mess, board, meals, aliment, cookery, haute cuisine, fast food, junk food, health food, soul food, comfort food, larder, pabulum, grub*, vittles*, eats*, chow*; see also feed, meal 2. For food in the menu, see alsobread, butter, cake 2, candy, cheese, delicatessen 1, dessert, drink 2, 3, egg, entree 2, fish, flavoring, fowl, fruit 1, hors d'oeuvre, jam 1, jelly, milk, meat, nut 1, oil, pastry, pudding, salad, sauce 1, 2, soup, spice, stew, vegetable.

Food as diet includes: cellulose, carbohydrates, fats, fibers, iron, minerals, oils, protein, proteids, salts, starches, sugars, vitamins.

food is the general term for all matter that is taken into the body for nourishment; fare refers to the range of foods eaten by a particular organism or available at a particular time and place the fare of horses, a bill of fare; victuals is now largely a dialectal or colloquial word for human fare or diet; ?provisions refers to a stock of food assembled in advance provisions for the hike; ration refers to a fixed allowance or allotment of food the weekly ration and in the plural (?rations) to food in general how are the rations in this outfit?


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

food Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • eat: Table knife: a knife used for eating food.

Preposition: for

  • thought: The theme of the weekend was politics and to that end we had two eminent speakers to give food for thought.

Adjective modifier

  • organic: To find out more about organic food, visit the Soil Association website.

Modifies a noun

  • chain: In caves, the basis of the food chain is organic matter from the surface.

Noun used with modifier

  • junk: At the election ministers rejected Conservative proposals to extend a ban on junk food to vending machines, so this is a positive step.
food usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

food quotes

He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth; And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.

-Bible (Old Testament)

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.

-Bible (NewTestament)

   Erst kommt das Fressen, dann kommt die Moral. Food comes first, then morals.

-Brecht, Bertolt Eugen Friedrich

food quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Link to this page:

Cite this page:

MLA Style

"food." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/food>

APA Style

food. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/food

Comments:

Please or Register to post a comment