feed

Syllabification: (feed)

Pronunciation: /fēd/

Definition of feed

[with object]

1give food to:the raiders fed the guard dog to keep it quiet [with two objects]:he fed her brownies he had just baked
[no object] (especially of an animal or baby) take food; eat something:morays emerge at night to feed
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
encourage the growth of:I could feed my melancholy by reading Romantic poetry
give fertilizer to (a plant).
put fuel on (a fire).

2supply (a machine) with material, power, or other things necessary for its operation:the programs are fed into the computer
[with two objects] supply (someone) with (information, ideas, etc.):I think he is feeding his old employer commercial secrets
supply water to (a body of water):the pond is fed by a small stream [no object]:water feeds into the lower pool
insert further coins into (a meter) to extend the time for which it operates.
[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:he took the ball and fed Salley
distribute (a broadcast) to local television or radio stations via satellite or network:programs that the national networks feed to local stations

3cause to move gradually and steadily, typically through a confined space:make holes through which to feed the cables

1an act of giving food, especially to animals or a baby, or of having food given to one:I’ve just given the horse her feed
informal a meal:how 'bout I fix up a nice hot feed?
food for domestic animals:the crops are grown for animal feed cow feed

2a device or conduit for supplying material to a machine:the plotter has a continuous paper feed
the supply of raw material to a machine or device: [as modifier]:a feed pipe
a broadcast distributed by 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); related to food

Definition of feed in the British & World English dictionary