Food vs. Feed

Food vs. Feed — Is There a Difference?
ADVERTISEMENT

Difference Between Food and Feed

Foodnoun

(uncountable) Any solid substance that can be consumed by living organisms, especially by eating, in order to sustain life.

The innkeeper brought them food and drink.

Feedverb

(transitive) To give (someone or something) food to eat.

Feed the dog every evening.

Foodnoun

(countable) A foodstuff.

Feedverb

(intransitive) To eat usually of animals.

Spiders feed on gnats and flies.

Foodnoun

Anything that nourishes or sustains.

The man's inspiring speech gave us food for thought.Mozart and Bach are food for my soul.

Feedverb

(transitive) To give (someone or something) to (someone or something else) as food.

Feed the fish to the dolphins.
ADVERTISEMENT

Foodnoun

any substance that can be metabolized by an organism to give energy and build tissue

Feedverb

(transitive) To give to a machine to be processed.

Feed the paper gently into the document shredder.We got interesting results after feeding the computer with the new data.

Foodnoun

any solid substance (as opposed to liquid) that is used as a source of nourishment;

food and drink

Feedverb

(figurative) To satisfy, gratify, or minister to (a sense, taste, desire, etc.).

Foodnoun

anything that provides mental stimulus for thinking

Feedverb

To supply with something.

Springs feed ponds with water.
ADVERTISEMENT

Feedverb

To graze; to cause to be cropped by feeding, as herbage by cattle.

If grain is too forward in autumn, feed it with sheep.

Feedverb

To pass to.

Feedverb

To create the environment where another phonological rule can apply; to be applied before another rule.

Nasalization feeds raising.

Feedverb

To create the syntactic environment in which another syntactic rule is applied; to be applied before another syntactic rule.

Feedverb

simple past tense and past participle of fee

Feednoun

(uncountable) Food given to (especially herbivorous) animals.

They sell feed, riding helmets, and everything else for horses.

Feednoun

Something supplied continuously.

a satellite feed

Feednoun

The part of a machine that supplies the material to be operated upon.

the paper feed of a printer

Feednoun

(countable) A gathering to eat, especially in quantity

They held a crab feed on the beach.

Feednoun

(Internet) Encapsulated online content, such as news or a blog, that can be subscribed to.

I've subscribed to the feeds of my favourite blogs, so I can find out when new posts are added without having to visit those sites.

Feednoun

food for domestic livestock

Feedverb

provide as food;

Feed the guests the nuts

Feedverb

give food to;

Feed the starving children in Indiadon't give the child this tough meat

Feedverb

feed into; supply;

Her success feeds her vanity

Feedverb

introduce continuously;

feed carrots into a food processor

Feedverb

support or promote;

His admiration fed her vanity

Feedverb

take in food; used of animals only;

This dog doesn't eat certain kinds of meatWhat do whales eat?

Feedverb

serve as food for; be the food for;

This dish feeds six

Feedverb

move along, of liquids;

Water flowed into the cavethe Missouri feeds into the Mississippi

Feedverb

profit from in an exploitatory manner;

He feeds on her insecurity

Feedverb

gratify;

feed one's eyes on a gorgeous view

Feedverb

provide with fertilizers or add nutrients to;

We should fertilize soil if we want to grow healthy plants