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self-feed

American  
[self-feed, self-] / ˌsɛlfˈfid, ˈsɛlf- /

verb (used with object)

Agriculture.
self-fed, self-feeding
  1. to provide a supply of food to (animals) so as to allow them to eat as much and as often as they want.


Etymology

Origin of self-feed

First recorded in 1865–70


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:

This tool holding or driving spindle is threaded at its back end, passing through a nut which causes it to self-feed from left to right, or in other words, towards the work table.

From Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II by Joshua Rose

For this self-feed plan it is claimed that both feed and labor are saved, thus reducing production costs.

From Pratt's Practical Pointers on the Care of Livestock and Poultry by Pratt Food Co.

As a young reader, he was drawn to authors like Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe, part of what he called a self-fed “very steady diet of horror.”

From New York Times ● Aug. 1, 2022

All the blessings of salvation rise from the unmotived, self-impelled, self-fed divine love and purpose.

From Expositions of Holy Scripture Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Minor Prophets. St Matthew Chapters I to VIII by Alexander Maclaren

I will faithful move with thee, God-ordered, self-fed energy.

From Life Without and Life Within or, Reviews, Narratives, Essays, and poems. by Margaret Fuller

This is known as the "self-fed" plan, under which system feed is kept before the hogs at all times and they are permitted to eat at will.

From Pratt's Practical Pointers on the Care of Livestock and Poultry by Pratt Food Co.

Steadiest and strongest is self-fed passion springing in spite of circumstance.

From Recreations of Christopher North, Volume I (of 2) by John Lyde Wilson

When shopping for baby products, Which? advises parents not to buy any self-feeding aid, and that babies under the age of one do not need a pillow to sleep at night.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

As the baseball world shut down, Call bought a portable Junior Hack Attack hitting machine with a self-feeding ball dispenser.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2025

They can do that only by buying shares of the stock, which can set off a self-feeding cycle that makes the price shoot even higher.

From Seattle Times ● May 14, 2024

The self-feeding private sector pessimism is fuelling calls from some prominent Chinese economists for the state to back off.

From Reuters ● Jul. 26, 2022

Having thus described its construction, we will now describe the operation of the self-feeding device.

From Modern Machine-Shop Practice, Volumes I and II by Joshua Rose

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