to take into the mouth and swallow for nourishment; chew and swallow (food).

to consume by or as if by devouring gradually; wear away; corrode

The patient was eaten by disease and pain.

to make (a hole, passage, etc.), as by gnawing or corrosion.

to ravage or devastate

a forest eaten by fire.

to use up, esp. wastefully; consume (often fol. by up )

Unexpected expenses have been eating up their savings.

to absorb or pay for

The builder had to eat the cost of the repairs.

Slang

Vulgar to perform cunnilingus or fellatio on.

to consume food; take a meal

We'll eat at six o'clock.

to make a way, as by gnawing or corrosion

Acid ate through the linoleum.

eats, Informal . food. ?

eat away or into, to destroy gradually, as by erosion

For eons, the pounding waves ate away at the shoreline.

eat out, to have a meal at a restaurant rather than at home.

eat up,

to consume wholly.

to show enthusiasm for; take pleasure in

The audience ate up everything he said.

to believe without question. ?

be eating someone, Informal . to worry, annoy

or bother

Something seems to be eating himhe's been wearing a frown all day.

eat crow. crow 1 ( def. 7 ) .

eat high off the hog. hog ( def. 9 ) .

eat humble pie. humble pie ( def. 3 ) .

eat in

to eat or dine at home.

eat one's heart out. heart ( def. 24 ) .

eat one's terms. term ( def. 17 ) .

eat one's words. word ( def. 15 ) .

eat out of one's hand. hand ( def. 49 ) .

eat someone out of house and home

to eat so much as to strain someone's resources of food or money

A group of hungry teenagers can eat you out of house and home.

eat someone's lunch, Slang . to thoroughly defeat, outdo, injure

etc.

eat the wind out of

Nautical . to blanket (a sailing vessel sailing close-hauled) by sailing close on the weather side of.

verb

build , maintain , preserve , abstain , diet , famish , fast , starve

verb

absorb , attack , banquet , bite , bolt * , break bread , breakfast , chew , chow down , cram * , devour , digest , dine , dispatch , dispose of , fall to , feast upon , feed , gobble up , gorge , gormandize , graze * , have a bite , have a meal , have for , ingest , inhale * , lunch , make pig of oneself , masticate , munch , nibble , nosh * , partake of , peck at * , pick , pig out * , polish off * , pork out , put away * , ruminate , scarf * , scoff , snack , sup , swallow , take food , take in , take nourishment , wolf , condense , corrode , crumble , decay , decompose , disappear , disintegrate , dissipate , dissolve , drain , exhaust , gnaw , liquefy , melt , rot , run through , rust , spill , squander , vanish , waste away , consume , fare , partake , waste , erode , wear , wear away , bolt , chow , destroy , dinner , feast , forage , fret , gobble , graze , gulp , ingurgitate , manducate , nosh , ravage , supper , taste

phrasal verb

devour , dispatch , consume , drain , draw down , expend , finish , play out , run through , spend , use up , feast on , relish , delight , dote on , love