I. ˈēt verb
( ate ˈāt, dial or Brit ˈet ; eat·en ˈē-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
- eat one out of house and home
- eat one's heart out
- eat one's words
- eat out of one's hand
- eat someone's lunch
II. noun
Etymology: Middle English et, from Old English ǣt; akin to Old High German āz food; derivative from the root of eat (I)
Date: before 12th century
: something to eat : food — usually used in plural