feed

Pronunciation: /fiːd/

Definition of feed

[with object]

1give food to:did you remember to feed the cat? [with two objects]:she fed him bits of biscuit
[no object] (especially of an animal or baby) take food; eat something:the baby will feed according to her needs
(feed someone/thing up) British give a person or animal large amounts of food:you look as though you need feeding up
provide an adequate supply of food for:the island’s simple agriculture could hardly feed its inhabitants
[no object] (feed on/off) derive regular nourishment from (a particular substance):the bird feeds on cliff-top vegetation figurativehis powerful mind fed off political discussion
give fertilizer to (a plant): feed the lawn in spring and autumn
put fuel on (a fire).
encourage the growth of:I could feed my melancholy by reading Romantic poetry
informal satisfy (a drug habit):users who commit crime to feed their habit

2supply with material or power:a radial circuit fed by a 20 amp fuse the pond is fed by a small stream
put into a machine:the programs are fed into the computer Kevin fed coins into the jukebox
insert further coins into (a meter) to extend the time for which it operates.
[with two objects] supply (someone) with (information, ideas, etc.):I think he is feeding his old employer commercial secrets
[with two objects] prompt (an actor) with (a line):you were still in the wings feeding Micky his lines
(in ball games) pass (the ball) to a player.

3 [with object and adverbial of direction] cause to pass gradually and steadily, typically through a confined space:make holes through which to feed the cables
[no object] (feed through) (of a new factor or development) begin to be effective or influential; have an impact on someone or something:it could take time for higher earnings and dividends to feed through to investors

1an act of giving food, especially to animals or a baby, or of having food given to one:the baby’s morning feed
informal a meal:I gave him a big feed of rashers and eggs and mashed potatoes
[mass noun] food for domestic animals:the crops are grown for animal feed cow feed

2a device or pipe for supplying material to a machine:a paper feed
the supply of raw material to a machine or device: [as modifier]:a feed pipe
a broadcast distributed by a satellite or network from a central source to a large number of radio or television stations:a satellite feed from Washington
Computing a facility for notifying the user of a blog or other frequently updated website that new content has been added:most blogs and news sites offer RSS feeds of their latest content

Phrases

Old English fēdan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch voeden and food

Definition of feed in the US English dictionary