aten

Verb

eat (third-person singular simple present eats, present participle eating, simple past ate or (dialectal) et or (obsolete) eat, past participle eaten or (dialectal) etten or (nonstandard) ate)

1. (ambitransitive) To consume (something solid or semi-solid, usually food) by putting it into the mouth and swallowing it.
   • He's eating an apple.

   Synonyms:

   consume, swallow

2. (intransitive) To consume a meal.
   • What time do we eat this evening?

   Synonyms:

   dine, chow down, feed one's face

3. (copulative, intransitive) To have a particular quality of diet; to be well-fed or underfed.
   • I try to eat healthy these days.
4. (ergative, intransitive) To be ingested.
   • It's a soup that eats like a meal.
5. (intransitive) To be savored or enjoyed; to taste in a specified way.
   • It's an unattractive dish, but it eats pretty good.
6. (figuratively, often, transitive, with-up) To destroy, consume, or use up.
   • This project is eating up all the money.

See all 18 meanings of eat