# feeding

Pronunciation: US say "FEE-ding" /ˈfidɪŋ/; UK

## Verb

1. Present participle and gerund of feed. — present participle and gerund of feed
   - Simple: Present participle of feed. Use this form for an action happening right now.
   - _The volunteers are feeding the stray cats each evening._
   - _She is feeding the fire with dry logs._

## Noun

2. The act or process of giving food to a person or animal.
   - Simple: The giving of food to a person or animal.
   - _Regular feeding is essential during the first weeks of a calf's life._
   - _At the shelter, feeding of the rescued dogs follows a strict schedule._
3. A single session of giving food to someone, as to a baby or to an animal.
   - Simple: One time when food is given to a person or animal.
   - _She recorded the time of each feeding in a small notebook._
   - _The lambs were weak and missed two feedings in a row._
4. The process by which a person or animal takes in food.
   - Simple: The act of taking in food by eating.
   - _Whales do most of their feeding in cold, nutrient-rich waters._
   - _Active feeding slows once the herd has grazed the best grass._
5. A single session or bout of eating by a person or animal.
   - Simple: One time when an animal or person eats.
   - _After a heavy feeding, the python lay motionless for days._
   - _Researchers timed the otters' feedings to study their habits._
6. The act or process of supplying material to a machine that works on it, such as cotton to a gin or paper to a press.
   - Simple: The putting of material into a machine so it can work on it.
   - _The feeding of raw cotton into the gin sets the pace for the whole line._
   - _Uneven feeding can jam the printing press and waste paper._

## Noun

7. What is eaten as nourishment, whether food for people or feed and fodder for animals. *(dated)*
   - Simple: Food that is eaten, especially food for farm animals.
   - _The cattle had little feeding through the long, frozen months._
   - _Good feeding kept the plow horses in fine condition all season._
8. Something that furnishes or provides food, especially for animals. *(dated)*
   - Simple: Land or grass that gives food to animals.
   - _The upland meadows offered rich feeding for the flock all summer._
   - _That dry pasture provides poor feeding once the rains stop._

## Origin

Formed from "feed" combined with the suffix "-ing".

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/feeding (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).