eating
Americannoun
-
the act of a person or thing that eats.
-
food with reference to its quality or tastiness when eaten.
This fish is delicious eating.
adjective
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used in eating.
They brought out plates and eating utensils for dinner.
-
good or fit to eat, especially raw.
A sweet, crisp Gala is the perfect eating apple for a summer salad.
noun
adjective
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relating to or suitable for eating, esp uncooked
eating pears
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relating to or for eating
an eating house
Other Word Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But they’re also a delicacy that Mr. Ecott learns to enjoy: “It wasn’t possible to imagine a better way to spend an evening in good company than eating sheep’s heads and singing.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
The cans suggest simply heating and eating, which I wholeheartedly endorse.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
A girl aged nine hurt her tongue while eating a chocolate bar in Bremervörde, west of Hamburg.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Ippolito’s natural build is more slender than Stallone’s for Rocky, so he started training hard with weights, eating a ton of protein-rich meals and boxing for roughly 18 months before production began.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
It had gotten dark while we were eating.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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