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 former couple, who share sons Brandon and Dylan, were married from 1995 to 1998 and were the subject of much tabloid fodder surrounding their rocky relationship. —Tessa Petak, InStyle, 15 Jan. 2026

The team, with their signature red, white and blue stripes and stars uniforms and basketball spinning, have headlined plenty of exhibition games at Valparaiso University throughout the decades and given me plenty of fun fodder for my columns. —Philip Potempa, Chicago Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026

Best conspiracy fodder When The White Lotus star and Blackpink icon Lalisa Manobal and Priyanka Chopra-Jones came out to announce the winner of Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series – Drama, Chopra-Jones gave a shout-out to the Pittsburgh Steelers. —Melissa Locker, Time, 12 Jan. 2026

Rapaport is more cannon-fodder material but of a different kind. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 Jan. 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