eat
eat
verb (eats, ate, eaten, eating)
/iːt/
1 intransitive, transitive to put food in your mouth, bite it and swallow it
I was too nervous to eat.
to eat well/healthily
She doesn't eat properly (= doesn't eat food that is good for her).
eat something
I don't eat meat.
to eat breakfast/lunch/dinner
Would you like something to eat?
I couldn't eat another thing (= I have had enough food).
SEE ALSO all-you-can-eat
Collocations Diet and exercise
TOPICS Cooking and eating A1
Collocations
adverb
well
a lot
enough
verb + eat
find something to
get (yourself) something to
grab something to…
phrases
a bite to eat
eat and drink
eat like a horse…
2 intransitive to have a meal
Where shall we eat tonight?
We ate at a pizzeria.
I never eat in the school cafeteria.
TOPICS Cooking and eating A1
Idioms
(a case of) dog eat dog
eat somebody alive
eat dirt
eat, drink and be merry
eat your heart out!
eat your heart out (for somebody/something)
eat humble pie
eat like a horse
eat out of your/somebody’s hand
eat somebody out of house and home
eat your words
have your cake and eat it
I could eat a horse
I’ll eat my hat
like the cat that got/ate/swallowed the canary
what’s eating him, etc?
Phrasal Verbs
eat away
eat away at
eat in
eat into
eat out
eat up
Word Origin
Old English etan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch eten and German essen, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin edere and Greek edein.