feeding

noun

feed·​ing ˈfē-diŋ 

1

: the act or process of eating or being fed

For a while zoos tried to control feeding by providing vending machines with pellets, but most have now banned it entirely.

—Phillip T. Robinson

—often used before another noun

a feeding schedule

feeding behavior

2

: an instance of feeding

two a.m. feedings

ready for a feeding

Examples of feeding in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The melting of the sea ice has shortened the polar bears' feeding season, which has resulted in an energy deficit for the bears for longer stretches of the year, Louise Archer, lead author of the study and international post doctoral fellow at the University of Toronto, Scarborough, told ABC News. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 30 Jan. 2025

President Trump has now frozen all federal grants, including for the Head Start program and feeding programs for children. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2025

This baby doll play set includes a crib with a mobile, a high chair, and feeding accessories, giving kids the essentials to care for their dolls. —Jacquelyn Smith, Parents, 30 Jan. 2025

Football fanatics could notice a new element to their TV-viewing experience, as well, with Hawk-Eye feeding graphics that re-create ball positioning to show viewers exactly where the ball is relative to the line to gain. —Brian Cheung, NBC News, 30 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing feeding

• breast-feeding
• care and feeding
• feeding frenzy
• feeding ground
• feeding tube