Feed

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈfiːd/

Definitions

1. To provide food to a person or animal ; to supply something regularly or as needed ; to flow or deliver something in a steady stream
2. The act of giving nourishment to living beings ; the act of providing materials or information as required ; the continuous movement or delivery of substances or data
3. Supplying edible substances to sustain life ; furnishing resources or support consistently ; maintaining a constant flow or input of something

Etymology: Old English "fēdan" was a verb meaning to nourish, and its roots go back to a Proto-Indo-European word that also gave Latin "pāscō," meaning to feed or pasture. The idea of feeding was once tied to guarding and grazing livestock, so the word carried the sense of looking after animals before it settled on giving food. The English verb descends from Middle English "feden," which came out of that Old English form. Its relatives are widespread in the Germanic languages: Dutch "voeden," Swedish "föda," and Icelandic "fæða" all mean to feed or nourish, showing that the root was shared across the North Sea and Scandinavia. The noun is a little less certain. It may have grown from the verb as "fede" or "fed," or it may have come from Old Norse "fœða," meaning nourishment or food, which points to a common Germanic ancestor.

Synonyms: nourish, supply, provide, sustain, furnish

Antonyms: starve, deprive, withhold, deny, restrict