feeding

noun

feed·​ing ˈfē-diŋ 

1

: the act or process of eating or being fed

For a while zoos tried to control feeding by providing vending machines with pellets, but most have now banned it entirely.

—Phillip T. Robinson

—often used before another noun

a feeding schedule

feeding behavior

2

: an instance of feeding

two a.m. feedings

ready for a feeding

Examples of feeding in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There are plenty of moms who’ve spent countless hours driving, feeding and motivating their sports-playing sons and daughters through highs and lows. —Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026

In a 2017 study published in Genome Biology and Evolution, researchers explored the unusual sensory adaptations that are associated with the species’ feeding behavior. —Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 10 May 2026

Be alert and watch for fresh tracks, scat, and feeding sites. —Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 10 May 2026

Monarch butterfly caterpillars love this plant for feeding, and the flowers attract other pollinators. —Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 10 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing feeding

• breast-feeding
• care and feeding
• feeding frenzy
• feeding ground
• feeding tube

Rhymes for feeding

• beading
• bleeding
• breeding
• ceding
• heeding
• kneading
• leading
• needing
• pleading
• reding
• seeding
• speeding