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

Microplastics in rivers and oceans can disrupt the feeding and reproductive patterns of key species, and can harm seabirds. —Laurie Winkless, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

Thanks in part due to supplemental feeding, all 18 birds the team released in 2023 successfully raised chicks. —Mark Degraff, The Mercury News, 14 Dec. 2024

Some whale migration routes are known to exceed 5,000 miles between feeding and breeding grounds, and humpback whales in particular have some of the longest migrations of any mammal. —Hannah Peart, NBC News, 11 Dec. 2024

Earlier this month, Alpha Genesis made headlines after 43 rhesus macaque primates escaped from the Yemassee facility because an employee failed to fully secure a door during routine feeding and health checks. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 29 Nov. 2024

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