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
"We had a lovely video sent to us about the cows being hand-fed stale baguettes, everyone loved that video," Haywood added.
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 2026
And their use of gloves suggests they also know birds: Although hand-fed parrots are more docile than their wild counterparts, sticking one’s hand in an unsuspecting bird’s cage can result in a painful bite.
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
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
He thought of the brimming comfort of his kibble bowl, the pleasure of Peter’s hand-fed treats and the ultimate reward: peanut butter.
From "Pax" by Sara Pennypacker
Gavin Newsom was in his element, hand-feeding dishy commentary to an eager political press corps.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 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
Jackson started experimenting with making shapes with sheep to relieve the monotonous stress of hand-feeding livestock during a devastating drought across most of Australia that broke in the early months of the pandemic.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 26, 2021
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.
