Main Entry: ¹eat

Pronunciation: \ˈēt\

Function: verb

Inflected Form(s): ate \ˈāt, dial or British ˈet\; eat·en \ˈē-t^ən\; eat·ing

Etymology: Middle English eten, from Old English etan; akin to Old High German ezzan to eat, Latin edere, Greek edmenai

Date: before 12th century

transitive verb 1 : to take in through the mouth as food : ingest, chew, and swallow in turn
2 a : to destroy, consume, or waste by or as if by eating <expenses ate up the profits> <gadgets that eat up too much space> b : to bear the expense of : take a loss on <the team was forced to eat the rest of his contract>
3 a : to consume gradually : corrode <cars eaten away by rust> b : to consume with vexation : bother <what's eating you now>
4 : to enjoy eagerly or avidly : lap —used with up <it was an amazing performance and the crowd ate it up>
5 usually vulgar : to perform fellatio or cunnilingus on —often used with outintransitive verb 1 : to take food or a meal
2 : to affect something by gradual destruction or consumption —usually used with into, away, or at <the loss was really eating at her> <the controversy ate into his support>

— eat·er noun

— eat alive : to defeat, conquer, or overwhelm completely : crush <was eaten alive by the competition>

— eat one out of house and home : to consume more than one can easily provide or afford

— eat one's heart out 1 : to grieve bitterly
2 : to be jealous

— eat one's words : to retract what one has said

— eat out of one's hand : to accept the domination of another

— eat someone's lunch : to deprive of profit, dominance, or success