eat

verb \ ˈēt \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

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 alive

: to defeat, conquer, or overwhelm completely : crush

was eaten alive by the competition

— 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

See eat defined for English-language learners

See eat defined for kids

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.

Recent Examples of eat from the Web

Eating it: Some folks spoon directly into their mouths.

— ann maloney, NOLA.com, "Cajun Caviar? On National Caviar Day, we indulge in Atchafalaya fish eggs," 19 July 2017
New this year to True Nature is a retreat for those with eating disorders and their family members.

— plain dealer guest writer, cleveland.com, "Ohio retreat centers offer a break from busy, close to home (photos)," 19 July 2017
However hot dogs may have originated, the council estimates Americans will eat 7 billion of them between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day.

— don sweeney, sacbee, "It’s National Hot Dog Day! So, where are the deals?," 19 July 2017
In fact, a recent survey showed that 36% of Chick-fil-A dinner customers take their meal to go from restaurants to eat at home.

— meghan overdeep, Southern Living, "Chick-fil-A Is About to Make Picking Up Dinner Easy and Delicious," 19 July 2017
The casual restaurant and bar also offers an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet at 8 a.m. Sundays.

— vickie snow jurkowski, Daily Southtown, "Simple cocktail or meal in a glass, the Bloody Mary can be the cure for what ails you," 19 July 2017
Miami was last in the NFL at 57 plays per game last season partly because the offense didn’t convert effectively on third downs, but also because the porous run defense allowed opponents to eat up the clock.

— chris perkins, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Countdown to training camp: Can Burke turn last year’s so-so defense into a top unit? | Analysis," 19 July 2017
Parents and their children can bring a lunch to eat during the program.

— michelle mullins, Naperville Sun, "This Week in Naperville," 18 July 2017
Hammerhead worms contain the same toxin as blowfish and can be harmful if eaten.

— liz langley, National Geographic, "Watch a Mysterious Worm With an Anus for a Mouth," 15 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'eat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

eat Synonyms

Phrases

get one's goat, get on one's nerves, get to, rub the wrong way, set one's teeth on edge, stick in one's craw, wear on;

eat

noun

Definition of eat

: something to eat : food —usually used in plural

Recent Examples of eat from the Web

The 2,179 square feet of living space includes four bedrooms, four bathrooms and an eat-in kitchen.

— neal j. leitereg, latimes.com, "Hair care heir Angus Mitchell expands his ground in Pacific Palisades," 8 May 2018
Hard-working teachers can chow down on free eats and get special savings at theme parks and hotels in honor of National Teacher Appreciation Day on May 8.

— doreen christensen, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Freebies for National Teacher Appreciation Day on May 8," 4 May 2018
Connect with nonprofits, enjoy live music and fill your belly with local eats and beer at an all-ages Boise Future Friends Block Party from 5 to 10 p.m. on La Pointe Street in the Lusk District (between Ann Morrison Park and Boise State).

— michelle jenkins, idahostatesman, "Did you hear the latest buzz? Local beekeepers will remove swarms for free | Idaho Statesman," 30 Apr. 2018
Fueled by a team of dedicated staff and volunteers, delicious eats and drinks from regional and national purveyors were served up throughout the night.

— nikki delamotte, cleveland.com, "Market at the Food Bank raises $334K to support hunger relief," 30 Apr. 2018
Good eats and good news: Farm & Craft, a new restaurant for healthy food, will open in Phoenix on Friday.

— azcentral, "AZ Memo: Arizona #RedForEd teachers walkout today - all you need to know; movie sequels, reboots getting ridiculous," 26 Apr. 2018
The contrast between this dog-eat-dog, helter-skelter environment and collectivized North Korea could not be starker.

— charlie campbell, Time, "What Would Korean Reunification Look Like? Five Glaring Problems to Overcome," 26 Apr. 2018
Diners can choose from 11 food vendors, a cocktail bar, a coffee bar, a juice shop and a full-service restaurant for their eats and drinks.

— lauren delgado, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Tampa food halls make for a delicious road trip," 25 Apr. 2018
O’Flynn’s Crab & Cask House will serve its last eats and drinks later this month.

— sarah meehan, baltimoresun.com, "O'Flynn's Crab & Cask House to close," 18 Apr. 2018

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

in the meaning defined above

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

EAT Defined for English Language Learners

eat

verb

Definition of eat for English Language Learners

: to take food into your mouth and swallow it
: to gradually destroy, use, or take away something : to wear something away
: to bother or annoy (someone)

EAT Defined for Kids

eat

verb \ ˈēt \

Definition of eat for Students

ate \ˈāt\; eaten \ˈē-tᵊn\; eating

1 : to chew and swallow food

2 : to take a meal

Let's eat at home.

3 : to destroy as if by eating : corrode

Acids ate away the metal.

—

eater

noun

Medical Dictionary

eat

verb \ ˈēt \

medical Definition of eat

ate \ˈāt, chiefly British ˈet\; eaten play \ˈēt-ᵊn\; eating

transitive verb

1 : to take in through the mouth as food : ingest, chew, and swallow in turn

2 : to consume gradually : corrode

intransitive verb

: to take food or a meal

Learn More about eat

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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eat

Definition of eat

eater

Examples of eat in a Sentence

Recent Examples of eat from the Web

Origin and Etymology of eat

eat Synonyms

Synonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases

eat

Definition of eat

Recent Examples of eat from the Web

Origin and Etymology of eat

Other Food Terms

EAT Defined for English Language Learners

eat

Definition of eat for English Language Learners

EAT Defined for Kids

eat

Definition of eat for Students

eater

Medical Dictionary

eat

medical Definition of eat

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