EAT


Meaning of EAT in English

v. (past ate; past part. eaten)

1. a tr. take into the mouth, chew, and swallow (food). b intr. consume food; take a meal. c tr. devour (eaten by a lion).

2 intr. (foll. by (away) at, into) a destroy gradually, esp. by corrosion, erosion, disease, etc. b begin to consume or diminish (resources etc.).

3 tr. colloq. trouble, vex (what's eating you?).

Phrases and idioms:

eat dirt see DIRT. eat one's hat colloq. admit one's surprise in being wrong (only as a proposition unlikely to be fulfilled : said he would eat his hat). eat one's heart out suffer from excessive longing or envy. eat humble pie see HUMBLE. eat out have a meal away from home, esp. in a restaurant. eat out of a person's hand be entirely submissive to a person. eat salt with see SALT. eat up

1. (also absol.) eat or consume completely.

2 use or deal with rapidly or wastefully (eats up petrol; eats up the miles).

3 encroach upon or annex (eating up the neighbouring States).

4 absorb, preoccupy (eaten up with pride). eat one's words admit that one was wrong.

Etymology: OE etan f. Gmc

Oxford English vocab.      Оксфордский английский словарь.