- eat
- eat [ēt]vt.ate [āt; ] Brit usually [ et] eaten [ēt′'n] eating [ME eten < OE etan, akin to Ger essen < IE base * ed-, to eat > L edere, Gr edmenai]1. to put (food) in the mouth, chew if necessary, and swallow2. to use up, devour, destroy, or waste as by eating; consume or ravage: usually with away or up3. to penetrate and destroy, as acid does; corrode4. to make by or as by eating [the acid ate holes in the cloth]5. to bring into a specified condition by eating [to eat oneself sick]6. Informal to absorb (a financial loss); accept responsibility for losses resulting from (unsold goods, bad debts, etc.)☆ 7. Slang to worry or bother [what's eating him?]8. [Vulgar Slang] to perform fellatio or cunnilingus onvi.1. to eat food; have a meal or meals2. to destroy or use up something gradually: often with into——————eat one's wordsto retract something said earlier——————☆ eat out1. to have a meal in a restaurant2. Slang to reprimand——————eat up1. to consume all of2. Informal to respond to with avid, uncritical interest or delighteatern.
English World dictionary. V. Neufeldt. 2014.