eat

UK: iːt | US: iːt

Definition

  1. vt. to consume food

  2. vi. to take in food

  3. n. (informal) something edible

Structure
eat <consume>
Etymology

The word "eat" traces back to Old English etan, derived from Proto-Germanic etaną, meaning "to consume food." This root is shared across Germanic languages (e.g., German essen, Dutch eten). Its deeper Indo-European ancestor is h₁ed-, a verb root meaning "to eat," which also gave rise to Latin edere (source of "edible") and Greek édein. The word has retained its core meaning for millennia, reflecting its fundamental role in human survival.

Examples

  1. I eat breakfast at 7 AM every day.

  2. Cats often eat small portions throughout the day.

  3. This soup is too hot to eat right now.

  4. They decided to eat out at a new restaurant.

  5. (Informal) "Let’s grab some eats before the movie."