fodder

noun

fod·​der ˈfä-dər 

1

: something fed to domestic animals

especially : coarse food for cattle, horses, or sheep

2

: inferior or readily available material used to supply a heavy demand

fodder for tabloids

This sort of breezy plot line has become cheap fodder for novelists and screenwriters …

—Sally Bedell

fodder transitive verb

Examples of fodder in a Sentence

His antics always make good fodder for the gossip columnists.

She often used her friends' problems as fodder for her novels.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Syfy-channel TV show Channel Zero uses some of the best known of these fables as fodder for serialized storytelling. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026

Corporations including Chevron, Meta and McDonald’s have contributed to outside groups supporting Becerra, which Steyer has seized on, using it as political fodder to attack his opponent and allege that Becerra will protect their profits as governor. —Grace Hase, Mercury News, 27 May 2026

The deeply repressed make great ghost fodder. —Literary Hub, 26 May 2026

For a satirist or a cynic, Esperantists are easy fodder. —Katie Thornton, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English fōdor; akin to Old High German fuotar food — more at food

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing fodder

• cannon fodder

Rhymes for fodder

• broader
• dodder
• odder
• solder
• marauder

Kids Definition

fodder

noun

fod·​der ˈfäd-ər 

: coarse dry food (as cornstalks) for livestock