feeder

American  

[fee-der] / ˈfi dər /

noun

1. a person or thing that supplies food or feeds something.

2. a bin or boxlike device from which farm animals may eat, especially such a device designed to allow a number of chickens to feed simultaneously or to release a specific amount of feed at regular intervals.

3. a person or thing that takes food or nourishment.

4. a livestock animal that is fed an enriched diet to fatten it for market.

5. a person or device that feeds a machine, printing press, etc.

6. a tributary stream.

7. bird feeder.

8. feeder line.

9. feeder road.

10. Electricity. Also a conductor, or group of conductors, connecting primary equipment in an electric power system.

11. British. a baby's bib.

12. Theater Slang. straight man.

---

adjective

1. being, functioning as, or serving as a feeder.

2. pertaining to livestock to be fattened for market.

feeder British  

/ ˈfiːdə /

noun

1. a person or thing that feeds or is fed

2. a child's feeding bottle or bib

3. agriculture a head of livestock being fattened for slaughter

4. a person or device that feeds the working material into a system or machine

5. a tributary channel, esp one that supplies a reservoir or canal with water

6. 1. a road, service, etc, that links secondary areas to the main traffic network

   2. ( as modifier )

      a feeder bus

7. 1. a transmission line connecting an aerial to a transmitter or receiver

   2. a power line for transmitting electrical power from a generating station to a distribution network

---

Etymology

Origin of feeder

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; feed, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Blackstone offset the remaining 0.9% of Bcred redemptions with investments from the firm and its employees in Bcred feeder funds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

Next, the expanded cells were cultured with OP9 feeder cells to create artificial hematopoietic organoid aggregates, structures that support efficient NK lineage commitment and development.

From Science Daily • Feb. 17, 2026

Buy a cheap feeder, fill it with corn, and put it 10 feet away from your bird feeder.

From Slate • Jan. 25, 2026

A clear hierarchy exists within such a structure and not being at the top of an ownership group can mean being reduced to the role of feeder club.

From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026

There was a beautiful metal can that said it was a waterer and had a lucky clover on it, and another one that was open on top that said it was a feeder.

From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones

Related Words

• grower
• laborer
• peasant
• producer
• rancher