ENGLISH
REFERENCE

feed on

phr. v..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford General-service

phr. v.. to eat something as a main food source, or to get stronger from a specific feeling or situation.

phr. v.. to consume a particular substance as a primary source of nourishment; figuratively, to derive strength, energy, or momentum from a specific source.


SIMPLE

Cows feed on grass in the fields.

CONTEXTUAL

The politician seemed to feed on the energy of the crowd during the rally.

COMPLEX

Certain species of deep-sea organisms feed on the chemical nutrients released by hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor.

Particles
on
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
feed + on + object
Usage

often used for animals or insects, but common in figurative contexts for humans.

Teaching tip

distinguish between the literal biological sense and the figurative sense where an emotion or situation sustains a person's motivation.

Pitfall

The birds feed on of seeds.The birds feed on seeds.the verb takes the preposition 'on' directly before the object without adding 'of'.

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