EAT


Meaning of EAT in English

/ iːt; NAmE / verb ( ate / et; NAmE ; especially NAmE eɪt/, eaten / ˈiːtn; NAmE /)

1.

to put food in your mouth, chew it and swallow it :

[ v ]

I was too nervous to eat.

She doesn't eat sensibly (= doesn't eat food that is good for her) .

[ vn ]

I don't eat meat.

Would you like something to eat?

I couldn't eat another thing (= I have had enough food) .

2.

[ v ] to have a meal :

Where shall we eat tonight?

We ate at a pizzeria in town.

IDIOMS

- eat sb alive

- eat, drink and be merry

- eat your heart out!

- eat your heart out (for sb/sth)

- eat humble pie

- eat like a horse

- eat out of your / sb's hand

- eat sb out of house and home

- eat your words

- I could eat a horse

- I'll eat my hat

- what's eating him, etc.?

—more at cake noun , dog noun

PHRASAL VERBS

- eat sth away

- eat away at sth/sb

- eat into sth

- eat out

- eat up | eat sth up

- eat sb up

- eat sth up

••

WORD ORIGIN

Old English etan , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch eten and German essen , from an Indo-European root shared by Latin edere and Greek edein .

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.