pabulum
Americannoun
-
something that nourishes an animal or vegetable organism; food; nutriment.
-
material for intellectual nourishment.
noun
-
food
-
food for thought, esp when bland or dull
Etymology
Origin of pabulum
1670–80; < Latin pābulum food, nourishment, equivalent to pā ( scere ) to feed (akin to food ) + -bulum noun suffix of instrument
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.
But their observations about love are such pabulum that a passer-by might mistake what their glimpsing for the opener of a "Saturday Night Live" short film parody.
From Salon • May 15, 2022
While it sogs relatively quickly, the soft pabulum that remains is still tasty, and sloughs off just enough of that cinnamon and sugar to make a satisfying bowl of cereal milk.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2019
Sadly, a head-scratching lack of extras, only including a paltry six-minutes worth of promotional pabulum, relegates the great effort to a rental or on-demand viewing.
From Washington Times • Feb. 18, 2016
This sort of pabulum is the norm, alas, not the exception.
From Washington Post • Sep. 11, 2015
He and Bleecker De Groot and Mrs. Caldera—to Lester's rage—have started a weekly paper called Brotherhood, consisting of pabulum for the horny-handed.
From The Streets of Ascalon Episodes in the Unfinished Career of Richard Quarren, Esqre. by Chambers, Robert W. (Robert William)
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.
