feeder
Americannoun
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feeders
plural
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a person or thing that supplies food or feeds something.
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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.
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a person or thing that takes food or nourishment.
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a livestock animal that is fed an enriched diet to fatten it for market.
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a person or device that feeds a machine, printing press, etc.
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a tributary stream.
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Electricity. Also a conductor, or group of conductors, connecting primary equipment in an electric power system.
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British. a baby's bib.
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Theater Slang. straight man.
adjective
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being, functioning as, or serving as a feeder.
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pertaining to livestock to be fattened for market.
noun
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a person or thing that feeds or is fed
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a child's feeding bottle or bib
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agriculture a head of livestock being fattened for slaughter
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a person or device that feeds the working material into a system or machine
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a tributary channel, esp one that supplies a reservoir or canal with water
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a road, service, etc, that links secondary areas to the main traffic network
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( as modifier )
a feeder bus
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a transmission line connecting an aerial to a transmitter or receiver
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a power line for transmitting electrical power from a generating station to a distribution network
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Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of feeder
Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at feed, -er 1
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.
See Examples For:
The company has modeled the economics, but this summer’s test will determine whether it expands the program to other crowded feeder lines.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
On Monday, the September contract for feeder cattle FCU26 — those that are fattened up for slaughter — fell 2.8% to end at $3.32 per pound in Chicago.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
“I was on a tube feeder then a puréed diet for a couple months. Then speech and swallow therapy. Then a vocal coach.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 2026
The charity warns that a single infected bird can turn a busy feeder into a potential hotspot for disease, making hygiene essential.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026
Herbie followed these directions, cleaned about a quarter pound of dead ants from the hummingbird feeder, and poured in a fresh sugarwater solution.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Up and down the tiny alley between the bushes and the building, an assortment of other bird feeders stood near the neighboring windows.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Honeybees were trained to visit the feeders, and the team monitored their behavior over several days.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
This includes things such as unsecured garbage cans, fallen fruit, bird feeders, pet food left outside and uncleaned grills.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2026
The spokesperson urged reptile owners who have been using dubia roaches as feeders to seek legal alternatives such as crickets and wood roaches.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
As we shall see, all the various types of birds are affected — ground feeders, treetop feeders, bark feeders, predators.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
