Definition of eat
ate
play
\ˈāt, dialectal or British ˈet\;
eaten
play
\ˈē-tᵊn\;
eating
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 out
intransitive 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
—
eater
noun
—
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
