food

[food]

noun

1. any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc.

   Synonyms: menu, diet, meat, sustenance, bread, aliment, nutriment

2. more or less solid nourishment, as distinguished from liquids.

3. a particular kind of solid nourishment.

   a breakfast food; dog food.

4. whatever supplies nourishment to organisms.

   plant food.

5. anything serving for consumption or use.

   food for thought.

food

/ fuːd /

noun

1. any substance containing nutrients, such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, that can be ingested by a living organism and metabolized into energy and body tissue

2. nourishment in more or less solid form as opposed to liquid form

   food and drink

3. anything that provides mental nourishment or stimulus

   food for thought

Other Word Forms

• foodless adjective
• foodlessness noun
• nonfood noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of food¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English fode, Old English fōda; compare Old English fēdan, Gothic fōdjan feed; fodder ( def. ), foster

Word History and Origins

Origin of food¹

Old English fōda ; related to Old Frisian fōdia to nourish, feed, Old Norse fœthi , Gothic fōdeins food; see _feed , _fodder

Synonym Study

Food, fare, provisions, ration(s) all refer to nutriment. Food is the general word: Breakfast foods have become very popular. Many animals prefer grass as food. Fare refers to the whole range of foods that may nourish a person or animal: an extensive bill of fare; The fare of some animals is limited in range. Provisions is applied to a store or stock of necessary things, especially food, prepared beforehand: provisions for a journey. Ration implies an allotment or allowance of provisions: a daily ration for each man of a company. Rations often means food in general: to be on short rations.

Example Sentences

He suggested that prison food was too good for these men.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Nearly 5.7 million people in violence-wracked Haiti are suffering from malnutrition, and that number could climb to six million in the coming months, according to a report released Friday by a UN-backed food security initiative.

Read more on Barron's

In recent years, PepsiCo has struggled to claw soda market share back from rivals, while its food business has stalled as inflation weighed on shoppers’ appetite for snacks.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The art program is among the 14 social enterprises operated by Homeboy, Boyle said, that include food service, dog grooming and electronic recycling.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"The road is long and difficult, there's no food or water," said Alaa Saleh, a schoolteacher who fled Gaza City with his wife and six children to Khan Younis in the south.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• bread 
• cooking 
• cuisine 
• drink 
• fare 
• feed 
• foodstuff 
• meal 
• meat 
• snack