eating

American  

[ee-ting] / ˈi tɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that eats.

2. food with reference to its quality or tastiness when eaten.

   This fish is delicious eating.

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adjective

1. used in eating.

   They brought out plates and eating utensils for dinner.

2. good or fit to eat, especially raw.

   A sweet, crisp Gala is the perfect eating apple for a summer salad.

eating British  

/ ˈiːtɪŋ /

noun

1. food, esp in relation to its quality or taste

   this fruit makes excellent eating

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adjective

1. relating to or suitable for eating, esp uncooked

   eating pears

2. relating to or for eating

   an eating house

Other Word Forms

• uneating
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of eating

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English; eat ( def. ) + -ing ¹ ( def. ) for the noun senses; eat ( def. ) + -ing ² for the adjective senses

Explanation

Eating is the act of consuming food. It would be nice to have lunch in the library instead of the cafeteria — but unfortunately, they don't allow any eating in there. The process of taking food in through your mouth — biting, chewing, tasting, swallowing — is eating. Figuratively, eating can also mean "wasting or destroying," the way rust consumes metal or anxiety gradually destroys a person's mental health. As an adjective, eating means "used for consuming," as in a set of eating utensils, complete with a spoon, fork, and knife. The Germanic etan, "consume or devour," is the root of eating.

Example Sentences

You can linger at a bar, coffee shop or the park, but when you’re done eating, the restaurant will eventually need its table back.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

The monthly mortgage payment on a new home could be eating up slightly less of a family’s income, according to the latest look at affordability from the National Association of Home Builders.

From MarketWatch • May 21, 2026

Researchers also found that beneficial gut bacteria and prebiotic fibers could help reduce some of these long-term effects and support healthier eating behaviors later in life.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2026

He has spent millions of dollars a year on his health, taking upward of 100 supplements a day, tracking hundreds of biomarkers, and eating precisely 2,250 chef-prepared calories a day.

From Barron's • May 21, 2026

I had more than enough room for another piece of Grandma’s pie, but with all of those monkeys hopping around in my head, I couldn’t think too much about eating.

From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls

Related Words

• chewing
• consumption
• dining