Undereats

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To consume less food than is necessary for healthy functioning
2. to eat insufficient amounts to meet one's dietary needs
3. to regularly ingest fewer calories than the body requires for maintenance and energy

Etymology: "Undereats" is the third-person singular present form of "undereat," a verb meaning to eat too little. The verb is formed from "under-" and "eat," and both parts are old English material. "Eat" descends from Old English "etan," while the prefix "under-" comes from Proto-Germanic "under," with a Proto-West Germanic form "undar" and an Old English form that survives in many compounds. In "undereat," the prefix carries its sense of "beneath" or "insufficiently," so the verb describes eating less than is adequate.

Synonyms: undernourishes, starves, fasts, dieting, skips meals

Antonyms: overeats, eats, feasts, consumes, devours