food

American  

[food] / fud /

noun

1. any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc.

   Synonyms:

   menu, diet, meat, sustenance, bread, aliment, nutriment

2. more or less solid nourishment, as distinguished from liquids.

3. a particular kind of solid nourishment.

   a breakfast food; dog food.

4. whatever supplies nourishment to organisms.

   plant food.

5. anything serving for consumption or use.

   food for thought.

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food British  

/ fuːd /

noun

1. any substance containing nutrients, such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, that can be ingested by a living organism and metabolized into energy and body tissue

2. nourishment in more or less solid form as opposed to liquid form

   food and drink

3. anything that provides mental nourishment or stimulus

   food for thought

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Related Words

Food, fare, provisions, ration(s) all refer to nutriment. Food is the general word: Breakfast foods have become very popular. Many animals prefer grass as food. Fare refers to the whole range of foods that may nourish a person or animal: an extensive bill of fare; The fare of some animals is limited in range. Provisions is applied to a store or stock of necessary things, especially food, prepared beforehand: provisions for a journey. Ration implies an allotment or allowance of provisions: a daily ration for each man of a company. Rations often means food in general: to be on short rations.

Other Word Forms

• foodless adjective
• foodlessness noun
• nonfood noun

Etymology

Origin of food

First recorded before 1000; Middle English fode, Old English fōda; compare Old English fēdan, Gothic fōdjan feed; fodder ( def. ), foster

Example Sentences

Earlier this year, Cal-Maine acquired Echo Lake Foods, which makes ready-to-eat breakfast foods, such as omelets, scrambled eggs, and pancakes.

From Barron's

They note that as expenses often rise with income, keeping the biggest ones — housing, transportation and food — under control is critical to increasing your saving rate.

From MarketWatch

In the blockade simulations at CSIS, the main issue wasn’t that Taiwan would run out of food but that it would quickly run out of energy.

From MarketWatch

The product was recalled as they potentially contain the cereulide toxin, which is heat resistant and can cause nausea and vomiting, according to the food safety authority of Ireland.

From The Wall Street Journal

However, headline inflation was dragged lower mainly by a sharp drop in energy prices, which offset a rise in food inflation, Vistesen said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bread
• cooking
• cuisine
• drink
• fare
• feed
• foodstuff
• meal
• meat
• snack