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

The allegations detailed in Baldoni's lawsuit have become fodder for this latest wave of online speculation. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025

Donald Trump became president for the second time yesterday, offering a lot of comedic fodder for Jon Stewart on the latest episode of The Daily Show. —Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2025

Everything, whether success or failure, becomes critical fodder for the road ahead. —Doug Sundheim, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025

The horribly destructive wildfires sweeping through Los Angeles County neighborhoods have become fodder for irresponsible, fact-free finger-pointing, mostly aimed at Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom. —Dan Walters, The Mercury News, 16 Jan. 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

Kids Definition

fodder

noun

fod·​der ˈfäd-ər 

: coarse dry food (as cornstalks) for livestock