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

Hamnet eventually leads to a final climatic encounter at the Globe Theater, where Agnes, enraged at the idea that her husband is using their grief as fodder for fiction, arrives to witness the staging of her husband’s new work, The Tragedy of Hamlet. —Nathan Smith, Time, 26 Nov. 2025

This stand-up set from comedian-actor Greta Titelman feels like great fodder for a show starring Greta Titelman as baby Greta Titelman. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 21 Nov. 2025

Formula 1 fans who have just found the sport within the last several years, particularly since the debut of reality-show sensation Drive to Survive in 2019, may only know of the Williams team as fodder at the back of the field. —Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 19 Nov. 2025

Too much moisture and a flat pitch can be easy fodder for batters — even in Perth. —Michael Bailey, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2025

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