foodstuff

American

[food-stuhf] / ˈfudˌstʌf /

noun

a substance used or capable of being used as nutriment.

foodstuff British

/ ˈfuːdˌstʌf /

noun

any material, substance, etc, that can be used as food

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of foodstuff

First recorded in 1870–75; food + stuff

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Iran has been working to send some of its oil by rail to China and to import foodstuff by road from the Caucasus and Pakistan.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

In a statement, Maersk added that “exceptions will be made for critical foodstuff, medicine and other essential goods.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 7, 2026

So, as a former MP raises the subject again, what's in a name and what could the future hold for this fought-over foodstuff?

From BBC • Jun. 1, 2025

And versions of this protest tool, throwing a foodstuff at somebody, have been around a long time.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2024

After letting freezing night temperatures break down the tubers’ cell walls, Andean farmers stomped out the water content to make dried chuho, a nigh-indestructible foodstuff that could be stored for years.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023