diet
verb
Did you know?
The word diet first appeared in English in the 13th century. Its original meaning was the same as in modern English, “habitually taken food and drink.” But diet was used in another sense too in the Middle and early modern English periods to mean “way of living.” This is, in fact, the original meaning of diet’s Greek ancestor diaita, which is derived from the verb diaitasthan, meaning “to lead one’s life.” In Greek, diaita, had already come to be used more specifically for a way of living prescribed by a physician, a diet, or other regimen.
Examples of diet in a Sentence
Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 May 2026
Published in the journal Cell Host and Microbe, the study found that diets rich in casein, the main protein in milk and cheese, along with wheat gluten, could limit cholera bacteria in the gut.
—Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2026
This matters because, when people lose weight through dieting alone, some of that weight may come from muscle.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
New research suggests that diets low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets may lower heart disease risk.
—Brian Mastroianni, Health, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for diet
Cite this Entry
“Diet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diet. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
diet
1 of 4 noun
diet
2 of 4 verbdiet
3 of 4 adjectivediet
4 of 4 nounMiddle English diete "regular food, diet," from early French diete (same meaning), derived from Greek diaita, literally, "manner of living"
Middle English diete "day's journey, day set for a meeting," from Latin dieta, literally, "daily regimen, diet" (associated with Latin dies "day"), derived from Greek diaita
Medical Definition
diet
1 of 3 noun
diet
2 of 3 transitive verbdiet
3 of 3 adjective
