Library / English Dictionary

EAT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected forms: ate    , eaten   

 I. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cause to deteriorate due to the action of water, air, or an acid

Example:

The steady dripping of water rusted the metal stopper in the sink

Synonyms:

corrode; eat; rust

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "eat" is one way to...):

damage (inflict damage upon)

Verb group:

corrode; rust (become destroyed by water, air, or a corrosive such as an acid)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Use up (resources or materials)

Example:

They run through 20 bottles of wine a week

Synonyms:

consume; deplete; eat; eat up; exhaust; run through; use up; wipe out

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Hypernyms (to "eat" is one way to...):

drop; expend; spend (pay out)

Verb group:

occupy; take; use up (require (time or space))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "eat"):

run out (exhaust the supply of)

drain (deplete of resources)

indulge; luxuriate (enjoy to excess)

burn; burn off; burn up (use up (energy))

spend (spend completely)

exhaust; play out; run down; sap; tire (deplete)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something
Somebody ----s PP

Sentence example:

They eat more bread

Sense 3

Meaning:

Eat a meal; take a meal

Example:

I didn't eat yet, so I gladly accept your invitation

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Hypernyms (to "eat" is one way to...):

consume; have; ingest; take; take in (serve oneself to, or consume regularly)

Verb group:

eat (take in solid food)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "eat"):

binge; englut; engorge; glut; gorge; gormandise; gormandize; gourmandize; ingurgitate; overeat; overgorge; overindulge; pig out; satiate; scarf out; stuff (overeat or eat immodestly; make a pig of oneself)

banquet; feast; junket (partake in a feast or banquet)

breakfast (eat an early morning meal)

brunch (eat a meal in the late morning)

lunch (take the midday meal)

mess (eat in a mess hall)

nosh; snack (eat a snack; eat lightly)

dig in; pitch in (eat heartily)

break bread (have a meal, usually with company)

eat (take in solid food)

picnic (eat alfresco, in the open air)

dine (have supper; eat dinner)

dine out; eat out (eat at a restaurant or at somebody else's home)

dine in; eat in (eat at home)

victual (take in nourishment)

take away; take out (buy and consume food from a restaurant or establishment that sells prepared food)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue eat

Also:

eat in (eat at home)

eat out (eat at a restaurant or at somebody else's home)

eat up (finish eating all the food on one's plate or on the table)

Derivation:

eater (someone who consumes food for nourishment)

eating (the act of consuming food)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Take in solid food

Example:

What did you eat for dinner last night?

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Hypernyms (to "eat" is one way to...):

eat (eat a meal; take a meal)

consume; have; ingest; take; take in (serve oneself to, or consume regularly)

"Eat" entails doing...:

get down; swallow (pass through the esophagus as part of eating or drinking)

chew; jaw; manducate; masticate (chew (food); to bite and grind with the teeth)

Verb group:

eat; feed (take in food; used of animals only)

eat (eat a meal; take a meal)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "eat"):

fill; fill up (eat until one is sated)

eat up; finish; polish off (finish eating all the food on one's plate or on the table)

devour; guttle; pig; raven (eat greedily)

ruminate (chew the cuds)

nibble; pick; piece (eat intermittently; take small bites of)

bolt down; garbage down; gobble up; shovel in (eat a large amount of food quickly)

bolt; gobble (eat hastily without proper chewing)

peck; pick up (eat by pecking at, like a bird)

peck; peck at; pick at (eat like a bird)

fare (eat well)

slurp (eat noisily)

wolf; wolf down (eat hastily)

fress; gluttonise; gluttonize (eat a lot and without restraint)

wash down (eat food accompanied by lots of liquid; also use metaphorically)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They eat more bread

Derivation:

eater (any green goods that are good to eat)

eater (someone who consumes food for nourishment)

eating (the act of consuming food)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Take in food; used of animals only

Example:

What do whales eat?

Synonyms:

eat; feed

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Hypernyms (to "eat" is one way to...):

consume; have; ingest; take; take in (serve oneself to, or consume regularly)

Verb group:

eat (take in solid food)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "eat"):

forage (wander and feed)

raven (feed greedily)

suckle (suck milk from the mother's breasts)

browse; crop; graze; pasture; range (feed as in a meadow or pasture)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Something is ----ing PP

Sentence example:

The animals eat

Derivation:

eating (the act of consuming food)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Worry or cause anxiety in a persistent way

Example:

What's eating you?

Synonyms:

eat; eat on

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Hypernyms (to "eat" is one way to...):

vex; worry (disturb the peace of mind of; afflict with mental agitation or distress)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The bad news will eat him

Credits

 Context examples: 

Also does he seek after the eggs of birds. He does not eat the eggs. All that is inside he takes out, and only does he keep the shell.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

Then let's go and get something to eat.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Their geese and turkeys I usually ate at a mouthful, and I confess they far exceed ours.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

It was furred outside by a thick layer of dust, and damp and worms had eaten through the wood, so that a crop of livid fungi was growing on the inside of it.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Well, you’re out there, sir, as it happens, for he ate a remarkable big breakfast this morning.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Now, he said as he turned hungrily on the simple fare that our landlady had provided, I must discuss it while I eat, for I have not much time.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I am eating them now, and you too.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

You have Saturn and Pluto to give you the discipline to stick with the program and Jupiter’s influence to encourage you to want to eat nutritiously.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

The amount of pancreatic polypeptide in the blood increases after a person eats.

(Pancreatic polypeptide, NCI Dictionary)

After that, you may need to start taking enzymes and eat a special diet.

(Pancreatitis, NIH: National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases)