hand-feed
Americanverb (used with object)
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Agriculture. to feed (animals) with apportioned amounts at regular intervals.
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to feed (an animal or person) by hand.
The students hand-fed the baby monkeys with an eyedropper.
Etymology
Origin of hand-feed
First recorded in 1795–1805
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:
"She was very thin and we had to hand-feed her at first - she has a real appetite but we have to feed her up slowly," Charlotte said.
From BBC ● May 8, 2026
They’ll also provide healthy treats to hand-feed the four-legged hikers who will be available for petting and unlimited photo opportunities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2022
But never hand-feed an animal; you don’t want to get bitten or scratched.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 6, 2022
People who hand-feed their local deer — a practice experts warn against — could also be at risk.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 7, 2022
But when Beatrice refused to eat, I had to hand-feed her a few lumps of liver-flavored kibble.
From "Ungifted" by Gordon Korman
They took two African grays that Allen had hand-fed as babies and was planning to sell.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2023
He and his wife hand-fed the animal until it was able to eat on its own.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 18, 2023
Each chick is weighed every morning and hand-fed three times a day with a "penguin milkshake" - blended fish, vitamins and minerals.
From BBC ● May 18, 2022
A baby cheetah cub is being hand-fed by caretakers for several weeks at the National Zoo’s sister facility in Virginia after its siblings were stillborn and its mother abandoned it.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 22, 2021
“You can see him on every line. He hand-fed each word to the Courier. He’ll go far, that fellow. This is better advertising for his company and himself than you can pay out money for.”
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
According to Australia media, the couple visited the zoo for a private tour and were photographed hand-feeding a kangaroo and snapping selfies in between assorted PDA.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 22, 2024
Zoo staff will also condition the pair for hand-feeding as they transition away from regurgitated fish à la mom and dad.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 27, 2023
But if they bless you with something egregious, go for it: “I find it challenging when you’re in her lap and hand-feeding her like she’s an orphaned bird.”
From Washington Post ● Mar. 6, 2023
But hand-feeding a wild animal will probably end in tears, not likes.
From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2022
With careful hand-feeding that in the beginning went around the clock, I was able to parrot-parent.
From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan
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.
