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
2a : to destroy, consume, or waste by or as if by eating expenses ate up the profits gadgets that eat up too much spaceb : to bear the expense of : take a loss on the team was forced to eat the rest of his contract
3a : to consume gradually : corrode cars eaten away by rustb : 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
nouneat alive
: to defeat, conquer, or overwhelm completely : crush was eaten alive by the competition
eat one out of house and home
eat one's heart out
eat one's words
eat out of one's hand
eat someone's lunch
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Examples of eat in a Sentence
You'll feel better if you eat something.
I ate a big breakfast so I'm not very hungry.
They like to eat at home.
Origin and Etymology of eat
Middle English eten, from Old English etan; akin to Old High German ezzan to eat, Latin edere, Greek edmenai
First Known Use: before 12th century
Origin and Etymology of eat
Middle English et, from Old English ǣt; akin to Old High German āz food; derivative from the root of 1eat
First Known Use: before 12th century
EAT Defined for English Language Learners
eat
playDefinition of eat for English Language Learners
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: to take food into your mouth and swallow it
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: to gradually destroy, use, or take away something : to wear something away
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: to bother or annoy (someone)
EAT Defined for Kids
Medical Dictionary
Learn More about eat
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See words that rhyme with eat Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for eat Spanish Central: Translation of eat Nglish: Translation of eat for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of eat for Arabic speakers
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