feed
gb/fˈid/ us/fˈid/
A1
English
~ 2300
Senses
0 senses
Verb
A1
action
1
Give food to someone/something
To give food to a person or animal.
Usage pattern:
to feed [someone/something] [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'feed' with 'eat'. 'Feed' means to give food, while 'eat' means to consume food yourself.
Synonyms
nourish (Slightly more formal and often implies promoting growth or health.)
Antonyms
starve (Means to suffer or cause suffering from lack of food.)
Collocations
feed the animals
|feed the baby
|feed the fish
|feed a family
Themes
daily life
|animals
|food
|daily_life
|food_drink
Examples
- I need to feed the cat before we leave.
- She fed the baby with a bottle.
- Farmers feed the cows twice a day.
- Please feed the fish once every morning.
Learner examples
- I feed my dog every day.
- She feeds her baby milk.
- They feed the birds in the park.
- We feed the chickens in the morning.
Verb
B1
action
2
Supply something continuously
To give something like information, material, or power without stopping.
Usage pattern:
to feed [something] into/with [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'feed' here always refers to food; in this sense it can be about any continuous supply, not just food.
Synonyms
supply (General term for providing something; may not imply continuous flow.)
Antonyms
cut off (Means to stop providing something.)
Collocations
feed data into
|feed information to
|feed electricity to
Themes
technology
|communication
|business
Examples
- The camera feeds live images to the control room.
- They fed the machine with raw materials.
- The program feeds data into the central database.
Learner examples
- The phone feeds power to the lights.
- We feed data into the computer.
- The TV feeds news all day.
Noun
A2
entity
3
Food for animals
Food made for animals to eat.
Synonyms
fodder (Mainly used for livestock; more formal or agricultural term.)
Collocations
cattle feed
|chicken feed
|fish feed
Themes
animals
|food
|food_drink
|daily_life
Examples
- The farmer bought feed for the chickens.
- We store the horse feed in that shed.
- This feed is high in protein for the cows.
Learner examples
- I buy feed for my dog.
- The farmer gives feed to the cows.
- We put fish feed in the pond.
Noun
B1
entity
4
Stream of content or data
A list that shows new online posts or news as they happen.
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'feed' here with 'food'. In technology, it means a stream of information, not something you eat.
Synonyms
stream (Can refer generally to continuous flow of data; not limited to lists of posts.)
Collocations
news feed
|social media feed
|live feed
Themes
technology
|media
|communication
Examples
- I checked my news feed this morning.
- Her Facebook feed is full of travel photos.
- The live feed showed the event in real time.
Learner examples
- I look at my news feed every day.
- The live feed shows the game now.
- My feed has many pictures of cats.
Grammar
Dictionary form
feed
IPA
GB/fˈid/
US/fˈid/
Syllables & stress
feed (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (feed)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: feed
- Plural: feed, feeds
Verb
- Base: feed
- 3rd Person Singular: feeds
- Present Participle: feeding
- Past: fed
- Past Participle: fed
Word family
Forms
feeds
noun
feeding
verb
fed
verb
Core family
food
noun A1
Related words
feeder
noun A2
overfeed
verb
Negative and opposite forms
underfeed
verb
Highlights
- Irregular past: fed Verb
- Irregular past participle: fed Verb
Expressions
bite the hand that feeds you
1/bˈaɪt ðə hˈænd ðˈæt fˈidz jˈu/
idiom
Harm someone who helps you
To hurt or be unkind to someone who has helped you.
Examples
- He bit the hand that fed him by criticizing his mentor.
- Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
feed into
1/fˈid ˈɪntu/
phrasal verb
Contribute into a process/system
To add or give something directly into a process, system, or situation.
Examples
- The results will feed into the final report.
- Local opinions will feed into the planning process.
feed on
1/fˈid ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
Get energy or satisfaction from something
To get energy, strength, or feelings from something.
Examples
- Lions feed on meat in the wild.
- Some people feed on attention from others.
feel like feeding time at the zoo
1/fˈil lˈaɪk fˈidɪŋ tˈaɪm ˈæt ðə zˈu/
idiom
informal
Seem noisy and chaotic scene
To seem very noisy and busy, like when animals are fed at a zoo.
Examples
- With all the kids shouting, it felt like feeding time at the zoo.
- The cafeteria was so loud it felt like feeding time at the zoo.