often attributive
1
: one that feeds: such as
a
: one that fattens livestock for slaughter
b
: a device or apparatus for supplying food
2
: one that eats or takes nourishment
especially
: an animal being fattened or one suitable for fattening
3
a
: one that supplies, replenishes, or connects
c
: a heavy wire conductor supplying electricity at some point of an electric distribution system (as from a substation)
d
: branch
especially
: a branch transportation line
e
: a road that provides access to a major artery
Examples of feeder in a Sentence
a pigeon feeder holding a bag of stale bread
the lake has several feeders that have their headwaters near the Canadian border
Recent Examples on the Web
In August, the Arrowhead Union High School District and its seven K-8 feeder districts agreed to pursue a financial analysis associated with potentially consolidating at least some of those districts.
—
Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 11 Nov. 2025
These birds need to visit feeders or food energy needed during their trip south.
—Chris McKeown, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Nov. 2025
That’s because small feeder flights are largely the ones getting canceled, not the flights between major cities.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
For example, one study used an event camera to count corn kernels on a fast-moving feeder line, demonstrating accurate item counting in a production setting.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feeder
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 11 Nov. 2025
These birds need to visit feeders or food energy needed during their trip south.
—Chris McKeown, Cincinnati Enquirer, 8 Nov. 2025
That’s because small feeder flights are largely the ones getting canceled, not the flights between major cities.
—Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
For example, one study used an event camera to count corn kernels on a fast-moving feeder line, demonstrating accurate item counting in a production setting.
—Srishti Gupta, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for feeder
Cite this Entry
“Feeder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feeder. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
feeder
noun
feed·er
ˈfēd-ər 
1
: a device for supplying food
bird feeder
b
: a branch (as of a river or a transportation system) that supplies or connects to another
2
: one that eats
especially
: an animal being fattened or suitable for fattening
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