fodder

noun

fod·​der ˈfä-dər 

1

: something fed to domestic animals

especially : coarse food for cattle, horses, or sheep

2

: inferior or readily available material used to supply a heavy demand

fodder for tabloids

This sort of breezy plot line has become cheap fodder for novelists and screenwriters …

—Sally Bedell

fodder transitive verb

Examples of fodder in a Sentence

His antics always make good fodder for the gossip columnists.

She often used her friends' problems as fodder for her novels.

Recent Examples on the Web

Certain fruits and veggies, lentils and other legumes, and sweet potatoes are all good sources of fiber, and make excellent breakfast fodder. —Alexis Deboschnek, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Aug. 2025

Given the dynamics of last year’s presidential contest, in which worries about rising costs of living played a role in Californian Kamala Harris’s loss to Donald Trump, California’s very high costs for housing and other fundamental living needs, would be fodder for attacks on Newsom in 2028. —Dan Walters, Mercury News, 16 Aug. 2025

Ganatra and Weiss make everything feel a bit mechanical rather than an escalating spiral of craziness, and too many scenes play like montage fodder without actually taking the plot anywhere. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025

There's at least a token attempt to provide a justification that might survive the inevitable lawsuits, while at the same time providing fodder for the culture war that many in the administration demand. —ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English fōdor; akin to Old High German fuotar food — more at food

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing fodder

• cannon fodder

Rhymes for fodder

• broader
• dodder
• odder
• solder
• marauder

Kids Definition

fodder

noun

fod·​der ˈfäd-ər 

: coarse dry food (as cornstalks) for livestock