Etymology
From Middle English fode, foode, from Old English fÅda (food), from Proto-West Germanic *fÅdÅ, from Proto-Germanic *fÅdô (food), from Proto-Indo-European *pehâ‚‚- (to guard, graze, feed).
Cognate with Scots fuid (food), Low German föde, vöde (food), West Frisian fiedsel (food), Dutch voedsel (food), Danish føde (food), Swedish föda (food), Icelandic fæða, fæði (food), Gothic ð†ð‰ðŒ³ðŒ´ðŒ¹ðŒ½ðƒ or fÅdeins, (food), Latin pÄnis (bread), Latin pÄscÅ (feed, nourish). Related to fodder, foster.
Noun
food (usually uncountable, plural foods)
- Any solid substance that can be consumed by living organisms, especially by eating, in order to sustain life.
- A foodstuff; a specific kind of food.
- Anything that nourishes or sustains, often found in phrases such as "food for thought."
Usage notes
Adjectives often applied to "food": raw, cooked, baked, fried, grilled, processed, healthy, unhealthy, wholesome, nutritious, safe, toxic, tainted, adulterated, tasty, delicious, fresh, stale, sweet, sour, spicy, exotic, marine.
Derived terms
- fast food
- food allergy
- food-borne disease
- food chain
- food coloring
- food court
- food pantry
- food poisoning
- food pyramid
- food web
- health food
- junk food
- seafood
Related terms
- feed
- fodder
Credits
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