feed

Use the word "feed" when giving food to an animal or to a human being.

• Pamela fed her baby. (past tense)
• Tom feeds his kids before he leaves for work.
• Roger barely makes enough money to feed his family.
• Have you ever needed to feed farm animals? (This question is in the present perfect tense.)
• What do you feed a horse?
• We’re feeding our dog a special type of dog food.

Use "fed" as an adjective.

• The kids are all fed. (They have been given food.)
• The people in that refugee camp are not well fed. (They aren’t receiving enough nutritional food.)

The word "feed" also means to give, especially when giving information.

• They fed us the wrong information.
• Management keeps feeding the employees misinformation about how profitable the company is.

When you feed a thing, the word "feed" means "put into."

• Sandra went to feed the meter. (She left to put money into a parking meter.)
• Did you feed the right kind of information into the computer?
• This creek feeds into the Mississippi River. (The water flows from the creek to the river.)

There are some idioms and expressions that use the word "feed."

• I’m fed up with this job! I’m quitting. (fed up = out of patience; angry)
• The city council meeting suddenly became a feeding frenzy as citizens shouted their outrage. (feeding frenzy = a situation that is out of control.)
• The students are feeding off of each other. (To feed off of means to influence. It can be good or bad.)
• Julia and Edward are feeding off of the anger they feel towards each other.
• Thanks for your feedback! (feedback = comments; suggestions for improvement)

She’s feeding her baby.

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February 25, 2014