Idioms for eat

Origin of eat

before 900; Middle English eten, Old English etan; cognate with German essen, Gothic itan, Latin edere

OTHER WORDS FROM eat

eat·er, noun out·eat, verb (used with object), out·ate, out·eat·en, out·eat·ing. un·der·eat, verb (used without object), un·der·ate, un·der·eat·en, un·der·eat·ing.

British Dictionary definitions for eat up (1 of 3)

eat up

verb (adverb, mainly tr)

(also intr) to eat or consume entirely: often used as an exhortation to children
informal to listen to with enthusiasm or appreciation the audience ate up the speaker's every word
(often passive) informal to affect grossly she was eaten up by jealousy
informal to travel (a distance) quickly we just ate up the miles

British Dictionary definitions for eat up (2 of 3)

EAT

EAZ


abbreviation for

Tanzania (international car registration)

Word Origin for EAT

from E(ast) A(frica) T(anganyika) or E(ast) A(frica) Z(anzibar)

British Dictionary definitions for eat up (3 of 3)

eat
/ (iːt) /

verb eats, eating, ate or eaten

See also eat out, eats, eat up

Derived forms of eat

eater, noun

Word Origin for eat

Old English etan; related to Gothic itan, Old High German ezzan, Latin edere, Greek edein, Sanskrit admi

Medical definitions for eat up

eat
[ ēt ]

v.

To take into the body by the mouth for digestion or absorption.
To consume, ravage, or destroy by or as if by ingesting, such as by a disease.

Idioms and Phrases with eat up (1 of 2)

eat up

1

Consume completely, as in No television until you eat up your dinner, or This quarter's expenses have eaten up all my spare cash. The literal use (first example) dates from the early 1500s, the figurative from the early 1600s.

2

Enjoy avidly, as in She simply eats up the publicity. [Late 1800s]

3

Believe unquestioningly, be gullible, as in He'll eat up whatever the broker tells him. [Slang; early 1900s]

4

Defeat completely, as in This new fighter just eats up every opponent. [Slang; c. 1830]

5

See eat out, def. 2.

Idioms and Phrases with eat up (2 of 2)

eat