Feed (fēd), v. t. [imp. & p. p.Fed (fĕd); p. pr. & vb. n.Feeding.] [AS. fēdan, fr. fōda food; akin to OS. fōdian, OFries. fēda, fōda, D. voeden, OHG. fuottan, Icel. fæða, Sw. föda, Dan. föde. √75. See Food.] 1. To give food to; to supply with nourishment; to satisfy the physical huger of.
If thine enemy hunger, feed him. Rom. xii. 20.
Unreasonable creatures feed their young. Shak.
2. To satisfy; gratify or minister to, as any sense, talent, taste, or desire.
I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him. Shak.
Feeding him with the hope of liberty. Knolles.
3. To fill the wants of; to supply with that which is used or wasted; as, springs feed ponds; the hopper feeds the mill; to feed a furnace with coal.
4. To nourish, in a general sense; to foster, strengthen, develop, and guard.
Thou shalt feed my people Israel. 2 Sam. v. 2.
Mightiest powers by deepest calms are fed. B. Cornwall.
5. To graze; to cause to be cropped by feeding, as herbage by cattle; as, if grain is too forward in autumn, feed it with sheep.
Once in three years feed your mowing lands. Mortimer.
6. To give for food, especially to animals; to furnish for consumption; as, to feed out turnips to the cows; to feed water to a steam boiler.
7. (Mach.) (a) To supply (the material to be operated upon) to a machine; as, to feed paper to a printing press. (b) To produce progressive operation upon or with (as in wood and metal working machines, so that the work moves to the cutting tool, or the tool to the work).