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

But the internet encourages the transformation of antipathy into creative fodder, and enables its dissemination. —Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 2 Mar. 2025

The excesses of 1980s academia are ripe fodder for de Kretser’s mordant wit, but her aim here is more ambitious — and the results more rewarding. —Emily Eakin, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2025

That’s a shame, because many of the ideas in The Gorge — about soldiers as pawns and the wide reach of the military — would have been good fodder for a nervy sci-fi. —Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Feb. 2025

Otherwise, the rest of the group is full of low-end starting talent and journeyman fodder. —Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 11 Feb. 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

Rhymes for fodder

• broader
• dodder
• odder
• solder
• marauder

Kids Definition

fodder

noun

fod·​der ˈfäd-ər 

: coarse dry food (as cornstalks) for livestock