v.
Pronunciation: ' ē t
Function: verb
Inflected Form: ate \ ' ā t, dial or Brit ' et \ ; eat · en \ ' ē -t ə n \ ; eat · ing
Etymology: Middle English eten, from Old English etan; akin to Old High German ezzan to eat, Latin edere, Greek edmenai
Date: before 12th century
transitive verb
1 : to take in through the mouth as food : ingest, chew, and swallow in turn
2 a : to destroy, consume, or waste by or as if by eating <expenses ate up the profits> <gadgets that eat up too much space> b : to bear the expense of : take a loss on <the team was forced to eat the rest of his contract>
3 a : to consume gradually : CORRODE <cars eaten away by rust> b : to consume with vexation : BOTHER <what's eat ing you now>
4 : to enjoy eagerly or avidly : LAP ― used with up <it was an amazing performance and the crowd ate it up>
5 usually vulgar : to perform fellatio or cunnilingus on ― often used with out
intransitive verb
1 : to take food or a meal
2 : to affect something by gradual destruction or consumption ― usually used with into, away, or at <the loss was really eat ing at her> <the controversy ate into his support>
– eat · er noun
– eat alive : to defeat, conquer, or overwhelm completely : CRUSH <was eaten alive by the competition>
– eat one out of house and home : to consume more than one can easily provide or afford
– eat one's heart out
1 : to grieve bitterly
2 : to be jealous
– eat one's words : to retract what one has said
– eat out of one's hand : to accept the domination of another
– eat someone's lunch : to deprive of profit, dominance, or success