food

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noun, often attributive \ˈfüd\

Definition of food

1a : material consisting essentially of protein, carbohydrate, and fat used in the body of an organism to sustain growth, repair, and vital processes and to furnish energy; also : such food together with supplementary substances (such as minerals, vitamins, and condiments) drought victims who don't have enough food to eatb : inorganic substances absorbed by plants in gaseous form or in water solution
2 : nutriment in solid form She gave food and drink to the hungry travelers.
3 : something that nourishes, sustains, or supplies food for thought Books were his mental food.

foodless

play \ˈfüd-ləs\ adjective

foodlessness

noun

See food defined for English-language learners

See food defined for kids

Examples of food in a Sentence

a farmer who grows his own food
drought victims who don't have enough food to eat
She gave food and drink to the hungry travelers.
What is your favorite food?
fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods

Recent Examples of food from the Web

The probiotics build up healthy bacteria in your gut and the Pepto-Bismol acts as a prophylactic that coats your digestive track like a protective sleeve and can help filter out organisms in contaminated water or food.

— mark ellwood, Bloomberg.com, "Why You Should Never Eat Food on Planes, and Other Jet-Set Tips," 19 July 2017
In addition to the food, there will be about 60 beers on tap, as well as nonalcoholic options such as lemonade, water, and Bai drinks.

— lisa beebe, Los Angeles Magazine, "The LA Bacon Festival Is This Saturday, In Case You’re Wondering What You’re Doing Saturday," 19 July 2017
Matthew Joyce, a native of Ireland, moved from Nevada and established a homestead on Sinker Creek, a Snake River tributary south of Murphy, to farm and sell food to gold miners.

— zach kyle, idahostatesman, "Water-rights victory made this Idaho ranch owner a ‘rock star’," 18 July 2017
Aunt Jemima was a brand of foods, owned by the Quaker Oats Company, that uses a stereotypical image of a black servant woman as its mascot.

— paula rogo, Essence.com, "This Black Woman Was Called An Aunt Jemima By Her Doctor," 17 July 2017
Have plenty of fresh water and non-perishable food items stocked, and keep at least two week's worth of prescriptions on hand.

— rebecca mcbane, South Florida Parenting, "Weathering Pregnancy: For soon-to-be moms in South Florida, hurricane season is extra stressful," 13 July 2017
Ever since SpaceX first launched a Falcon 9 rocket in June 2010, the spaceflight corporation has been slowly but surely clawing its way up the launch vehicle food chain.

— jay bennett, Popular Mechanics, "One Chart Shows How Much SpaceX Has Come to Dominate Rocket Launches," 13 July 2017
As relief ships arrive, food, water filters and fuel are offloaded by hand amid chaos, but demand cannot be met even in port cities, much less inland.

— The Economist, "The disaster that could follow from a flash in the sky," 13 July 2017
If someone is nice enough to bring in food to share with the rest of the office, don’t leave the cleanup all to them.

— lyndsey matthews, Town & Country, "20 Office Etiquette Rules Every Person Should Follow," 10 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'food.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of food

Middle English fode, from Old English fōda; akin to Old High German fuotar food, fodder, Latin panis bread, pascere to feed

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

FOOD Defined for English Language Learners

food

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noun

Definition of food for English Language Learners

: the things that people and animals eat
: a particular kind of food
: substances taken in by plants and used for growth

FOOD Defined for Kids

food

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noun \ˈfüd\

Definition of food for Students

1 : the material that people and animals eat : material containing carbohydrates, fats, proteins, and supplements (as minerals and vitamins) that is taken in by and used in the living body for growth and repair and as a source of energy for activities
2 : inorganic substances (as nitrate and carbon dioxide) taken in by green plants and used to build organic nutrients
3 : organic materials (as sugar and starch) formed by plants and used in their growth and activities
4 : solid food as distinguished from drink

Medical Dictionary

food

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noun , often attributive \ˈfüd\

Medical Definition of food

1: material consisting essentially of protein, carbohydrate, and fat used in the body of an organism to sustain growth, repair, and vital processes and to furnish energy; also : such material together with supplementary substances (as minerals, vitamins, and condiments)
2: nutriment in solid form