feeder

American  

[fee-der] / ˈfi dər /

noun

1. a person or thing that supplies food or feeds something.

2. a bin or boxlike device from which farm animals may eat, especially such a device designed to allow a number of chickens to feed simultaneously or to release a specific amount of feed at regular intervals.

3. a person or thing that takes food or nourishment.

4. a livestock animal that is fed an enriched diet to fatten it for market.

5. a person or device that feeds a machine, printing press, etc.

6. a tributary stream.

7. bird feeder.

8. feeder line.

9. feeder road.

10. Electricity. Also a conductor, or group of conductors, connecting primary equipment in an electric power system.

11. British. a baby's bib.

12. Theater Slang. straight man.

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adjective

1. being, functioning as, or serving as a feeder.

2. pertaining to livestock to be fattened for market.

feeder British  

/ ˈfiːdə /

noun

1. a person or thing that feeds or is fed

2. a child's feeding bottle or bib

3. agriculture a head of livestock being fattened for slaughter

4. a person or device that feeds the working material into a system or machine

5. a tributary channel, esp one that supplies a reservoir or canal with water

6. 1. a road, service, etc, that links secondary areas to the main traffic network

   2. ( as modifier )

      a feeder bus

7. 1. a transmission line connecting an aerial to a transmitter or receiver

   2. a power line for transmitting electrical power from a generating station to a distribution network

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Etymology

Origin of feeder

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; feed, -er ¹

Example Sentences

A squirrel raiding our bird feeder natters at me in irritation before it hops away to try its luck at the bird feeder two houses over.

From Literature

"These small facilities are feeder pools to go into the bigger facilities like the pools in Edinburgh and Aberdeen," he said.

From BBC

PPB, based in Conshohocken, Pa., operates a platform that includes feeder funds to facilitate investments in nonpublic asset classes such as private equity and real estate.

From Barron's

However, when the concentration reaches 2%, they visit the feeder about half as often.

From Science Daily

He was in the market for feeder pigs.

From Literature

Related Words

• grower
• laborer
• peasant
• producer
• rancher