eat

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   take in solid food

   I was eating a banana and texting when I stepped into a deep puddle.

2. 2
   verb

   worry or cause anxiety in a persistent way

   What's eating you?

3. 3
   verb

   To ingest; to be ingested.

   He's eating an apple. / Don't disturb me now; can't you see that I'm eating?

4. 4
   verb

   To use up.

   This project is eating up all the money.

5. 5
   verb

   To cause (someone) to worry.

   What's eating you?

6. 6
   verb

   To take the loss in a transaction.

   I have to have him in court tomorrow, if he doesn't show up, I forfeit the bond and I have to eat the $300,000.

7. 7
   verb

   To be injured or killed by (something such as a firearm or its projectile), especially in the mouth.

   I risk my whole future, the hatred of the cops and Eddie Mars' gang. I dodge bullets and eat saps.

8. 8
   verb

   To corrode or erode.

   The acid rain ate away the statue.  The strong acid eats through the metal.

Etymology

From Middle English eten, from Old English etan (“to eat”), from Proto-West Germanic *etan, from Proto-Germanic *etaną (“to eat”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁édti, from *h₁ed- (“to eat”). Cognates Cognate with Scots ait (“to eat”), Yola ayth, eight (“to eat”), North Frisian iidj, iit, ää'e, ääre, ääse (“to eat”), Saterland Frisian iete, íete (“to eat”), West Frisian ite (“to eat”), Alemannic German asse, assu, essen, ässe, ässä (“to eat”), Bavarian eisn, essn, èssn (“to eat”), Cimbrian èssan, èzzan (“to eat”), Dutch, Low German eten (“to eat”), German essen (“to eat”), Luxembourgish iessen (“…