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

Panettiere wrote in her memoir that Nashville took things from her personal life and used it as plot fodder. — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 17 Aug. 2026

The weeks that followed have been packed with political posturing, protests and provocative talk-show fodder, much of it aimed at dividing people much more than to actually support women’s sports. — Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 15 Aug. 2026

Among other things, Gray quipped about how his wife and kids really provide no fodder for stories. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 10 Aug. 2026

There’s eventually a backlash to the backlash, a revision-to-reappreciation arc, and a resurrection as nostalgia-bait reboot fodder. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 7 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