feed

The word “feed” means to give food to a person or animal. In plain terms, to give food, or to supply something continuously — including, today, an online stream of posts.

“Feed” is pronounced FEED (/ˈfiːd/ in IPA).

Here is “feed” used in a sentence: “She feeds the chickens every morning before school.”

Depending on how it is used, “feed” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “feed” comes from Old English. From Old English fēdan, "to feed," going back to a very old Indo-European root meaning "to guard or graze" — related to food and fodder.

“Feed” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Feed” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to give food to a person or animal.

To feed is to give food to someone or something, while to eat is to consume food yourself. A parent feeds a baby, and the baby eats. Feed usually needs an object — the person or animal receiving the food — whereas eat centres on the one doing the consuming.

The core sense is giving food to a person or animal. By extension, feed means to supply something steadily — to feed data into a system, feed a fire with wood, or feed a family by providing for them. Animals themselves also feed, meaning they eat, as with cattle in a field.

You feed a pet by putting out its food, feed a baby with a spoon or bottle, and feed livestock on a farm. Figuratively, you might feed coins into a machine or feed information to a colleague, extending the idea of supplying something to someone or something.

The past tense and past participle are both fed, not feeded. You say she fed the dog this morning, or the animals have been fed. The word follows an irregular pattern, changing its vowel rather than adding -ed, much like lead becoming led.