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

Instead of an overproduced album full of slick Top 40 fodder, however, Tusk is a quirky and sometimes almost lo-fi album, inspired more by bands like Talking Heads and Gang of Four than an ambition to make Rumours 2. —Al Shipley, SPIN, 9 Jan. 2025

Trump’s rhetoric also has the benefit of giving fodder to his supporters, who have embraced his view of American exceptionalism and dominance abroad and relish seeing liberals overreact to what the president-elect is saying. —Brett Samuels, The Hill, 7 Jan. 2025

Even today, his tale provides enduring fodder for best selling books, business school case studies and social media posts that mine it for leadership lessons and insights. —Martin Gutmann, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Jan. 2025

Initially a curious anecdote, the story later became fodder for jokes and media scrutiny. —Amanda Castro, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024

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