feed

¹feed

verb \ˈfēd\

fed\ˈfed\feed·ing

Definition of FEED

transitive verb

1

a : to give food to b : to give as food

2

a : to furnish something essential to the development, sustenance, maintenance, or operation of <reading feeds the mind> b : to supply (material to be operated on) to a machine

3

: to produce or provide food for

4

a : satisfy, gratify b : support, encourage

5

a (1) : to supply for use or consumption (2) : channel, route b (1) : to supply (a signal) to an electronic circuit (2) : to send (as by wire or satellite) to a transmitting station for broadcast

6

: to supply (a fellow actor) with cues and situations that make a role more effective

7

: to pass a ball or puck to (a teammate) especially for a shot at the goal

intransitive verb

1

a : to consume food : eat b : prey —used with on, upon, or off

2

: to become nourished or satisfied or sustained as if by food

3

a : to become channeled or directed b : to move into a machine or opening in order to be used or processed

Examples of FEED

1. He was too weak to feed himself.
2. We feed the plants with a special fertilizer twice a week.
3. We fed the horses with apples, oats, and hay.
4. The children fed apples to the horses.
5. These supplies could feed a small army for a week.
6. He doesn't earn enough to feed a family of four.
7. helping to feed and clothe poor children
8. They used the wood to feed the fire.
9. The streams feed the creek.
10. The motor is fed by an electrical current.

Origin of FEED

Middle English feden, from Old English fēdan; akin to Old English fōda food — more at food

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to FEED

Synonyms: board, cater, provision, victual

Antonyms: hold (back), keep (back), reserve, retain, withhold

Related Words: serve, wait; nourish, nurture, sustain; banquet, dine, feast, regale; mess; batten, fatten, fill; force-feed, overfeed, surfeit; underfeed; hand-feed, spoon-feed; refeed, reprovision

Near Antonyms: conserve, keep up, maintain, preserve, save

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Rhymes with FEED

bead, Bede, bleed, brede, breed, cede, creed, deed, Gide, gleed, greed, heed, keyed, knead, kneed, lead, mead, Mead, Mede, meed, need, plead, read, rede, reed, screed, seed, Snead, speed, steed, swede, treed, tweed, weed