feeding

noun

feed·​ing ˈfē-diŋ How to pronounce feeding (audio)
1
: the act or process of eating or being fed
For a while zoos tried to control feeding by providing vending machines with pellets, but most have now banned it entirely.Phillip T. Robinson
often used before another noun
a feeding schedule
feeding behavior
2
: an instance of feeding
two a.m. feedings
ready for a feeding

Examples of feeding in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Rhincodon typus, to use their scientific name, eat their ample fill by ram filter-feeding, vacuuming up gallons of water to strain out small prey before the water exits their gills. JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025 Citing court records, the outlet reported that police alleged the boy was in especially poor condition when officers arrived at the campsite, as the parents allegedly cut off his breathing and feeding tube before abandoning their three children. Sean Neumann, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025 Eleven months after the crash, in August 2023, doctors removed her feeding tube. David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2025 Thinning and disappearing sea ice also disrupts Arctic seals’ feeding habits and makes the Arctic more accessible to humans, which further increases the overall risk to these species. Doyle Rice, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for feeding

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of feeding was before the 12th century

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Cite this Entry

“Feeding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feeding. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.

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