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.
Recent Examples of eat from the Web
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Eating it: Some folks spoon directly into their mouths.
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New this year to True Nature is a retreat for those with eating disorders and their family members.
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However hot dogs may have originated, the council estimates Americans will eat 7 billion of them between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day.
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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.
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The casual restaurant and bar also offers an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet at 8 a.m. Sundays.
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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.
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Parents and their children can bring a lunch to eat during the program.
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Hammerhead worms contain the same toxin as blowfish and can be harmful if eaten.
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
Recent Examples of eat from the Web
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EAT Amid the hustle and bustle of Upper King Street,
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Live music, cold beverages and tasty eats from local restaurants and food trucks complete the spin on Art-A-Whirl.
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 et, from Old English ǣt; akin to Old High German āz food; derivative from the root of 1eat
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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