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