diet

[ dahy-it ]

/ ˈdaɪ ɪt /

noun

food and drink considered in terms of its qualities, composition, and its effects on health: Milk is a wholesome article of diet.

a particular selection of food, especially as designed or prescribed to improve a person's physical condition or to prevent or treat a disease: a diet low in sugar.

such a selection or a limitation on the amount a person eats for reducing weight: No pie for me, I'm on a diet.

the foods eaten, as by a particular person or group: The native diet consists of fish and fruit.

food or feed habitually eaten or provided: The rabbits were fed a diet of carrots and lettuce.

anything that is habitually provided or partaken of: Television has given us a steady diet of game shows and soap operas.

verb (used with object), di·et·ed, di·et·ing.

to regulate the food of, especially in order to improve the physical condition.

to feed.

verb (used without object), di·et·ed, di·et·ing.

to select or limit the food one eats to improve one's physical condition or to lose weight: I've dieted all month and lost only one pound.

to eat or feed according to the requirements of a diet.

adjective

suitable for consumption with a weight-reduction diet; dietetic: diet soft drinks.

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Origin of diet

1175–1225; (noun) Middle English diete<Anglo-French, Old French <Latin diaeta<Greek díaita way of living, diet, equivalent to dia-dia- + -aita (akin to aîsa share, lot); (v.) Middle English dieten (transitive) <Anglo-French, Old French dieter, derivative of the noun

OTHER WORDS FROM diet

di·et·er, nounnon·di·et·er, nounnon·di·et·ing, adjective, noun

Words nearby diet

dies non, die stamping, diester, diestock, diestrus, diet, dietary, dietary amenorrhea, dietary fiber, dietary fibre, dietary law

Definition for diet (2 of 2)

diet²

[ dahy-it ]

/ ˈdaɪ ɪt /

noun

the legislative body of certain countries, as Japan.

the general assembly of the estates of the former Holy Roman Empire.

Origin of diet

1400–50; late Middle English <Medieval Latin diēta public assembly, apparently the same word as Latin diaeta (see diet¹) with sense affected by Latin diēs day

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for diet

He trains like a professional athlete in any other sport, with early-morning gym sessions, a diet of healthful foods and all-day practice.
An Unlikely Esports Star Emerges From Pakistan|Daniel Malloy|August 21, 2020|Ozy
Rather than revamp the industry, these critics suggest alternatives such as meat-free diets to fulfill our need for protein.
Biotechnology Could Change the Cattle Industry. Will It Succeed?|Dyllan Furness|August 16, 2020|Singularity Hub
In some cases, bacteria could even use these electrons to fuel growth in much the same way that humans use electrons from carbohydrates in the diet for energy.
Scientists stumbled across the first known manganese-fueled bacteria|Carolyn Beans|July 21, 2020|Science News
Some of the data that scientists have about dinosaur diets comes from coprolites.
Fossil stomach reveals a dinosaur’s last meal|Carolyn Wilke|July 7, 2020|Science News For Students

As a snapshot of the dino’s diet, the gut contents “can tell us more about dinosaur behavior,” Chin says.
Fossil stomach reveals a dinosaur’s last meal|Carolyn Wilke|July 7, 2020|Science News For Students
Park employees helped John quit tobacco by way of a butts-proof glass enclosure, a drastic change in diet, and regular exercise.
Zebra Finches, Dolphins, Elephants, and More Animals Under the Influence|Bill Schulz|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Still other people have moved away from the word “diet” altogether.
Why Your New Year’s Diet Will Fail|Carrie Arnold|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Butter has always been a healthy part of the diet in almost every culture; butter is a traditional food,” Asprey says.
Bulletproof Coffee and the Case for Butter as a Health Food|DailyBurn|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Yeonmi had been hospitalized at the time for a stomach illness, likely from her diet of rotten potatoes.
How ‘Titanic ’Helped This Brave Young Woman Escape North Korea’s Totalitarian State|Lizzie Crocker|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“My diet was designed to prevent carbohydrate cravings,” Watson told The Daily Beast.
‘Good Poop’ Diet Is the Next Big Thing|Daniela Drake|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Meat-eating beasts will change their habit of diet, and eat grain and herbs.
Quiet Talks about Jesus|S. D. Gordon
The diet consists, in a great measure, of vegetables, and includes a large variety of pastry.
The Thousand and One Nights, Vol. I.|Anonymous
Take care to live very cool, and let your diet be rather low.
The PG Edition of Chesterfield's Letters to His Son|The Earl of Chesterfield
Meanwhile round the hall of the diet a riot had broken out; the soldiers intervened and blood was shed.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 1|Various
The proposal was brought before the diet of the cantons assembled at Lucerne.
A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times|Francois Pierre Guillaume Guizot

British Dictionary definitions for diet (1 of 2)

diet¹

/ (ˈdaɪət) /

noun

a specific allowance or selection of food, esp prescribed to control weight or in disorders in which certain foods are contraindicateda salt-free diet; a 900-calorie diet
(as modifier)a diet bread

the food and drink that a person or animal regularly consumesa diet of nuts and water

regular activities or occupations

verb

(usually intr) to follow or cause to follow a dietary regimen

Derived forms of diet

dieter, noun

Word Origin for diet

C13: from Old French diete, from Latin diaeta, from Greek diaita mode of living, from diaitan to direct one's own life

British Dictionary definitions for diet (2 of 2)

diet²

/ (ˈdaɪət) /

noun

(sometimes capital) a legislative assembly in various countries, such as Japan

Also called: Reichstag (sometimes capital) the assembly of the estates of the Holy Roman Empire

Scots law

the date fixed by a court for hearing a case
a single session of a court

Word Origin for diet

C15: from Medieval Latin diēta public meeting, probably from Latin diaeta diet 1 but associated with Latin diēs day

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

Medical definitions for diet

diet

[ dī′ĭt ]

n.

Food and drink in general.

A prescribed course of eating and drinking in which the amount and kind of food, as well as the times at which it is to be taken, are regulated for therapeutic purposes.

Reduction of caloric intake so as to lose weight.

v.

To eat and drink according to a regulated system, especially so as to lose weight or control a medical condition.

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diet

noun

verb (used with object), di·et·ed, di·et·ing.

verb (used without object), di·et·ed, di·et·ing.

adjective

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noun

Origin of diet

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noun

verb

Derived forms of diet

Word Origin for diet

British Dictionary definitions for diet (2 of 2)

noun

Word Origin for diet

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n.

v.

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diet

noun

verb (used with object), di·et·ed, di·et·ing.

verb (used without object), di·et·ed, di·et·ing.

adjective

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noun

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noun

verb

Derived forms of diet

Word Origin for diet

British Dictionary definitions for diet (2 of 2)

noun

Word Origin for diet

Medical definitions for diet

n.

v.