feed

FEED/ˈfiːd/

Verbfeeds, feeding, fed

Noun pluralfeeds

21 meanings of feed

Practice

1
give food toverbtransitive
To give food to a person or animal.
I feed the cat twice a day.
She fed the baby before bedtime.
UsageThe past is fed (not ~~incorrect: feeded~~). Say feed the cat, or feed fish to the cat.
Note
2
eat (animals)verbintransitive
To eat, especially when the eater is an animal.
Deer feed at the edge of the woods just after sunrise.
Whales feed on tiny creatures called krill.
UsageSay animals feed on something: whales feed on krill.
Similareat, graze, forage
Note
3
give a supplyverbtransitive
To give or send a supply of something to a person, place, or thing.
Three rivers feed the lake.
The solar panels on our roof feed power to the whole house.
UsageSay feed a place, or feed something to it: feed power to the house.
Similarsupply, provide
4
home screen postsnouncountable
A list of posts and updates that you scroll through on an app or website.
Like a river of posts that keeps flowing past you, always bringing something new.
My feed is full of cooking videos this week.
Stop scrolling your feed and come eat dinner.
UsageWe say my feed, and we scroll through it.
Similartimeline, stream
Note
5
animal foodnoununcountable
Food given to animals, especially farm animals like cows and horses.
The farmer bought a big bag of chicken feed.
We give the horses fresh feed every morning.
Similarfodder, forage
Note
6
nouncountable or uncountable
A supply of something that keeps coming without stopping.
The camera sends a live feed to the screen downstairs.
The boiler needs a steady feed of water to keep running.
UsageWe often say a live feed for video sent as it happens.
Similarsupply, stream, flow
7
nouncountable
A stream of posts or articles from one website or account, usually with the newest ones first.
Like a mailbox that fills with new letters from one writer, with the newest letter always on top.
She checks the news site's feed every morning on her phone.
I added the cooking blog's feed to my news reader app.
UsageYou subscribe to a site's feed to see its new posts.
Note
8
put into machineverbtransitive
To put something into a machine so the machine can use it or work on it.
You have to feed the printer with paper before it will start.
Workers fed the furnace with coal all night.
UsageSay feed paper into a printer.
9
make strongerverbtransitive
To help a feeling, idea, or trend grow or last, especially a bad one.
Rumors like this only feed people's fears.
His silence fed her worry all through the night.
UsageOften about bad feelings or trends: feed people's fears.
Similarfuel, stoke, fan
Oppositedampen, quell
10
draw energyverbintransitivefigurative
To get energy, strength, or support from something. Used with on or off.
The players feed off the noise of the crowd.
Kids feed on praise, so tell them when they do well.
UsageSay feed on or feed off something: players feed off the crowd.
Similarthrive, draw
11
verbfigurativelytransitive
To satisfy a feeling, interest, or wish by giving it what it wants.
Like adding wood to a fire to keep it burning.
He spent all his savings to feed his gambling habit.
He reads a book every night to feed his hunger for adventure.
UsageSay feed a feeling or habit: feed your curiosity.
Similarsatisfy, gratify, indulge
Note
12
machine partnouncountable
The part of a machine that supplies the material the machine works on.
The paper feed on the printer is jammed again.
The paper feed on my printer keeps jamming.
Similarfeeder
Note

Less common meanings

13
pass (sports)verbtransitive
To pass the ball or puck to another player.
Feed the ball to the tall player near the basket.
She fed him a quick pass in front of the goal.
Similarpass
Note
14
fertilizeverbtransitive
To add fertilizer or other plant food to soil or plants so they grow well.
Feed your tomato plants once a week during the summer.
Grandpa feeds his roses with old coffee grounds.
Similarfertilize, nourish
15
community mealnouncountable
A meal or party where people come together and eat a lot.
After the harvest, the whole village had a big feed in the barn.
Grandma puts on a huge feed every Thanksgiving.
UsageUsually after the food: a pancake feed.
Similarfeast
16
mealnouncolloquialAustraliaNew ZealandUKcountable
A meal, or the food you eat at one sitting.
We stopped at a café for a good feed after the long walk.
Mum made us a proper feed before the match.
UsageOften a good feed or a big feed.
Similarmeal, nosh
Note
17
forward movementnouncountable or uncountable
The way material moves forward through a machine while it works.
The paper tore because the feed through the printer was too fast.
Slow the feed so the drill does not break.
18
let animals grazeverbtransitive
To let grazing animals eat grass or other plants growing on a piece of land.
Once in three years, or every other year, feed your mowing-lands.
1707, J[ohn] Mortimer, The Whole Art of Husbandry
If grain is too forward in autumn, feed it with sheep.
Similargraze, pasture
Note
19
straight mannouncountable
A performer in a comedy act whose lines set up the other comedian's jokes.
Like the player who passes the ball so a teammate can score.
On stage, the feed asked the questions and the comic got the laughs.
He worked for years as feed to a famous comic before going solo.
Similarstooge, foil
Note
20
verb
In the study of language, for one rule to work first and make the right conditions for another rule to work.
21
verb
Past tense and past participle of fee. Use this form when talking about paying or hiring someone in the past.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of feed apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 1–3, 8–11, 13–14, 18

From an Old English word fēdan meaning "to feed," with roots going back to older Germanic and Indo-European words for feeding and grazing.

Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

Feed descends from Old English fēdan, meaning “to feed”. en.wiktionary.org
Its ancestry extends through Germanic to an Indo-European root associated with feeding and grazing. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 4–7, 12, 15–17, 19

From Middle English, from the verb "feed." It may instead come from an Old Norse word fœða meaning "food."

Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

The noun comes through Middle English from the verb feed. en.wiktionary.org
The noun may alternatively derive from Old Norse fœða. en.wiktionary.org
Old Norse fœða means food. en.wiktionary.org