food
Americannoun
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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
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.
Lead author Dr. Barbara Cardoso, from Monash University's Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food and the Victorian Heart Institute, said the results add to growing evidence linking highly processed foods to poorer brain health.
From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026
Millions of people in Sudan and Haiti were reported as acutely food insecure, according to the UN's Food and Agricultural Organization.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
In February, the Food and Drug Administration found it failed to meet image-quality standards for mammograms.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 6, 2026
Agency for International Development, which includes U.S.-funded animal disease monitoring projects operated by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, Argi-Pulse Communications reported.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
Food is the one area where my grandmother likes being traditional.
From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan
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.
