feed
FEED
Feed (verb) means to give food to a person or animal. Example: “She feeds the chickens every morning before school.”
verb
1
To give food to a person or animal.
"She feeds the chickens every morning before school."
"Could you feed the baby while I get the bottle ready?"
"Please don't feed the ducks bread, because it isn't good for them."
2
To supply material into a machine or process.
"The printer feeds paper automatically from the tray."
"You need to feed the sheets into the scanner one at a time."
"The workers feed raw fruit into the machine, which turns it into juice."
noun
1
Food given to farm animals or pets.
"The farmer bought a fresh sack of chicken feed."
"We keep a bag of dry feed in the shed for the horses."
"The shop sells cheap feed for rabbits and guinea pigs."
2
A continuously updated stream of online content, such as posts from social media.
"She scrolled through her feed during her lunch break."
"My news feed is full of holiday photos at this time of year."
"He checks his feed every morning to see what his friends have posted."
How to use feed
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo give food, or to supply something continuously — including, today, an online stream of posts.
Common pairings
feed the dog
news feed
social media feed
feed data into
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Word forms
- Plural
- feeds
- Third person singular
- feeds
- Past tense
- fed
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
She _____ the chickens every morning before school.
Etymology
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.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for feed
See all rhymes for feed →Frequently asked questions
What does “feed” mean?
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.
How do you pronounce “feed”?
“Feed” is pronounced FEED (/ˈfiːd/ in IPA).
How do you use “feed” in a sentence?
Here is “feed” used in a sentence: “She feeds the chickens every morning before school.”
What part of speech is “feed”?
Depending on how it is used, “feed” can be a verb and a noun.
Where does the word “feed” come from?
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.
Is “feed” a common word?
“Feed” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.
How many meanings does “feed” have?
“Feed” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to give food to a person or animal.
What is the difference between feed and eat?
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.
What are the different meanings of feed?
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.
What is an example of feed?
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.
What is the past tense of feed?
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.
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