fodder

noun

fod·​der ˈfä-dər 

1

: something fed to domestic animals

especially : coarse food for cattle, horses, or sheep

2

: inferior or readily available material used to supply a heavy demand

fodder for tabloids

This sort of breezy plot line has become cheap fodder for novelists and screenwriters …

—Sally Bedell

fodder transitive verb

Examples of fodder in a Sentence

His antics always make good fodder for the gossip columnists.

She often used her friends' problems as fodder for her novels.

Recent Examples on the Web

That supplied the fodder for more than 1,000 words of Weird and Wild columnizing that week, too. — Jayson Stark, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026

The film grew out of Herzog’s fascination with British twins Freda and Greta Chaplin, who became tabloid fodder in the 1980s after a neighbor was granted a restraining order against them. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 2 Sep. 2026

It’s often based on incomplete reporting or bad faith Oscar campaigning, which becomes social media fodder that people who follow the entertainment business should ignore. — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2026

Whatever the verdict, the Massachusetts mother’s story will almost certainly become entertainment fodder soon enough. — Addie Morfoot, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English fōdor; akin to Old High German fuotar food — more at food

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing fodder

• cannon fodder

Rhymes for fodder

• broader
• dodder
• odder
• solder
• marauder

Kids Definition

fodder

noun

fod·​der ˈfäd-ər 

: coarse dry food (as cornstalks) for livestock