I. di ‧ et 1 S3 W2 /ˈdaɪət/ BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1200-1300 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: diete , from Greek diaita 'way of living, food to be eaten' ]
1 . [countable] a way of eating in which you only eat certain foods, in order to lose weight, or to improve your health:
Lyn always seems to be on a diet.
a salt-free diet
Not all diets are good for you.
2 . [uncountable and countable] the kind of food that a person or animal eats each day:
She doesn't eat a very healthy diet.
It is important to have a balanced diet.
the effects of poor diet and lack of exercise
Rice is the staple diet (=the main food that a group of people usually eat) .
Studies have shown the benefits of a vegetarian diet.
diet of
They exist on a diet of fish.
in sb’s diet
the importance of vitamins and minerals in your diet
3 . a diet of something too much of an activity that you think is boring or has bad effects:
Kids today are raised on a constant diet of pop music and television.
4 . [countable] old-fashioned an official meeting to discuss political or church matters
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ verbs
▪ be on a diet (=to only eat certain foods in order to lose weight)
No cake, thanks – I’m on a diet.
▪ go on a diet (=start eating less or only some types of food)
I really ought to go on a diet.
▪ follow a diet (=only eat certain types of food)
You will feel better if you follow a low-fat diet.
▪ stick to a diet (=continue to follow a diet)
Most people find it hard to stick to a diet.
■ adjectives
▪ a strict diet (=in which you eat a very limited amount or range of food)
She followed a strict diet for several weeks.
▪ a crash diet (=a very sudden and strict attempt to lose weight)
It’s better to lose weight gradually than to go on a crash diet.
▪ a low-calorie/low-fat etc diet
A low-calorie diet should solve your weight problem.
▪ a starvation diet (=in which you eat very little)
A starvation diet can have negative health effects.
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say ' she’s doing a diet '. Say she’s on a diet .
Do not say ' keep a diet '. Say stick to a diet .
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ adjectives
▪ healthy/good
A healthy diet includes plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
▪ poor/unhealthy
A poor diet affects your skin and hair condition.
▪ a balanced diet (=including all the types of food that people need)
A balanced diet is important for a child’s development.
▪ a varied diet (=including many different foods)
Provide your fish with a varied diet of worms, insects, and dried food.
▪ a sensible/proper diet
Students don’t always eat a sensible diet.
▪ sb’s staple diet (=the food that a group of people or type of animal normally eats)
For hundreds of years potatoes were their staple diet.
▪ a vegetarian diet (=that does not include any meat or fish)
▪ a high-fibre/high-protein etc diet
A high-fibre diet is good for your health.
■ verbs
▪ eat/have a diet
People in Mediterranean areas generally have a very good diet.
▪ live/exist on a diet of something
The people lived mainly on a diet of fish.
▪ feed somebody on a diet of something
Kids should not be fed a diet of hamburgers and sugary snacks.
■ phrases
▪ a diet high/rich in something (=which contains a lot of something)
In the West many people eat a diet high in fat and salt.
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THESAURUS
▪ food noun [uncountable and countable] things that people and animals eat:
You can buy good fresh food in the market.
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Do you like Japanese food?
▪ dish noun [countable] a type of food that is cooked in a particular way:
a traditional English dish
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They also offer vegetarian dishes.
▪ speciality British English , specialty American English noun [countable] a type of food that a restaurant or place is famous for:
Fish dishes are a specialty of the region.
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Home made pies are one of the hotel’s specialities.
▪ delicacy noun [countable] an unusual food which people in a particular place like to eat:
The local delicacies include laverbread (boiled seaweed).
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I was keen to try out the local delicacies.
▪ diet noun [countable] the type of food that someone usually eats:
You shouldn’t have too much salt in your diet.
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In the Andes, the main diet is beans, potatoes, and corn.
▪ cooking noun [uncountable] food made in a particular way, or by a particular person:
Herbs are used a lot in French cooking.
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I love my Mum’s home cooking.
▪ cuisine /kwɪˈziːn/ noun [countable] formal the food you can eat in a particular restaurant, country, or area:
Italian cuisine
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Trying the local cuisine is all part of the fun of travelling.
▪ nutrition noun [uncountable] food considered as something that is necessary for good health and growth:
a book on nutrition
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Many homeless people suffer from poor nutrition.
▪ nourishment /ˈnʌrɪʃmənt $ ˈnɜː-, ˈnʌ-/ noun [uncountable] goodness that you get from food, which helps your body to stay healthy:
There's not much nourishment in fast food.
▪ fare noun [uncountable] formal the kind of food that is served in a place – used especially when saying how interesting it is:
In China you can feast on bird’s nest soup and other exotic fare.
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Dinner was pretty standard fare (=the usual kind of food) .
II. diet 2 BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
to limit the amount and type of food that you eat, in order to become thinner SYN slim
III. diet 3 BrE AmE adjective [only before noun]
diet drinks or foods contain less sugar or fat than ordinary ones:
a diet soda