feed

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To give food to a person or animal.

   Remember to feed the dog every evening.

2. 2
   verb

   To eat, usually said of animals.

   Spiders feed on insects like gnats and flies.

3. 3
   verb

   To put or supply material into a machine so it can work.

   Feed the paper gently into the shredder.

4. 4
   verb

   To grow stronger by using something, often in a harmful way.

   Cruel rumours feed on people's fears.

Common collocations

• feed a baby Verb + noun
• feed a horse Verb + noun
• feed animals Verb + noun
• feed the birds Verb + noun
• feed the dog Verb + noun

From Middle English feden, from Old English fēdan (“to feed”), from Proto-West Germanic *fōdijan, from Proto-Germanic *fōdijaną (“to feed”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- (“to guard, graze, feed”). Cognate with West Frisian fiede (“to nourish, feed”), Dutch voeden (“to feed”), Danish føde (“to bring forth, feed”), Swedish föda (“to bring forth, feed”), Icelandic fæða (“to feed”), and more distantly with Latin pāscō (“feed, nourish”, verb) through Indo-European. More at food, fodder.

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