food
Americannoun
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foods
plural
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any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc.
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more or less solid nourishment, as distinguished from liquids.
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a particular kind of solid nourishment.
a breakfast food; dog food.
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whatever supplies nourishment to organisms.
plant food.
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anything serving for consumption or use.
food for thought.
noun
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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
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nourishment in more or less solid form as opposed to liquid form
food and drink
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anything that provides mental nourishment or stimulus
food for thought
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of food
First recorded before 1000; Middle English fode, Old English fōda; compare Old English fēdan, Gothic fōdjan feed; cf. fodder ( def. ), foster
Explanation
Food is anything that you can eat and digest. Your body needs food to grow and live. Some people love pizza, others love Thai food, and many can't get enough fruits and vegetables. Everything served at a restaurant is some kind of food — you eat it, digest it, and poop it out. Just because you can chew and swallow something doesn't make it food — try eating a crayon. To be food, it has to have nutritional value. Along with water and shelter, food is something you need to survive.
Vocabulary lists containing food
Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms - Introductory
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Matter and Energy Flow in Organisms - Middle School
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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.
See Examples For:
“Even if I had $26 million,” said Huddleston, “I’d want to sit here in my chair, and have my coffee and eat my food where I always do.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Rubio also singled out Kennedy’s commitment to a meat-and-sauerkraut-heavy diet, saying the health secretary travels with his own food.
From Salon ● Aug. 15, 2026
By influencing these receptors, the drugs can reduce food intake, promote weight loss, and help regulate blood sugar.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026
The conditions have reportedly included poor sanitation, infrequent ports-of-call, broken plumbing, exhaustion and shortages of fresh food.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
She fixes herself a plate of food and places it in front of her.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
Dog treats, favourite foods, washes and blow dries at home, endless love and attention.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
And this week brought another recall: The company pulled prepared foods, including salsa and guacamole sold under brands such as Trader Joe’s and Walmart’s Freshness Guaranteed, after receiving jalapeños connected to a multistate Salmonella outbreak.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
Many factors can contribute to obesity, but researchers are increasingly interested in the role of high fat foods that are readily available in grocery stores.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
These foods can be difficult to resist and may encourage people to eat more than they need.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
Ask students to think about what other kinds of foods come from seeds that we eat.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
