Feeder
/ˈfiːdər/
Definitions
3 meaningsA device that supplies something, especially food or a liquid, on a regular basis.
/ˈfiːdər/
A device that provides food or other substances
The automatic feeder ensures the fish get fed even when we're away.
💡 Simply: Imagine a machine that gives food to animals or things. It's like a bird feeder that keeps putting seeds out for the birds, or the thing in a printer that puts papers in.
👶 For kids: A thing that gives food to animals, like a bird feeder.
More Examples
The newspaper feeder jammed, and I couldn't get the printed pages.
She designed a new feeder for her cat that dispenses food slowly.
How It's Used
"The automated feeder dispensed grain to the livestock at regular intervals."
"We filled the bird feeder with sunflower seeds."
"The paper feeder on the printer jammed."
A person or thing that provides or supplies something, often used in a figurative sense to describe something that contributes to something else.
/ˈfiːdər/
A person or thing that provides or supplies something.
The small business served as a feeder for the large corporation.
💡 Simply: Someone or something that gives another thing what it needs, like money, information, or support. It's a bit like a sidekick or supporter.
👶 For kids: Someone or something that helps give others what they need, like food or information.
More Examples
The training camp was a feeder to the professional team.
The local news site acted as a feeder for information on local events.
How It's Used
"The company is a feeder to the larger conglomerate."
"He was a feeder to the star player."
"This news outlet is a feeder to a specific political ideology."
A river or stream that flows into a larger river, lake, or other body of water.
/ˈfiːdər/
A river or stream that flows into a larger body of water.
The river system was formed by multiple feeder streams.
💡 Simply: Imagine a small river or stream that flows into a bigger one, like a tributary. It’s a way of adding water and life.
👶 For kids: A small river that flows into a bigger river.
More Examples
The lake's water level depends heavily on the feeder streams that flow into it.
The feeder streams support a wide variety of aquatic life.
How It's Used
"The feeder stream provided a vital water source to the larger river."
"The health of feeder streams is crucial to the overall ecosystem."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
From Middle English *feder*, from Old English *fēda* (“food, nourishment”), from Proto-Germanic *fōdō* (“food”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- (“to feed”).
The term 'feeder' has been used in various contexts for centuries, initially referring to devices or individuals providing sustenance, and later broadening to include other supplies.
Memory tip
Think of a bird feeder - it supplies food to birds.
Word Origin
"one who or that which feeds"