Word
feeder
Phoneticsfeed·er, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈfidɝ/
UK/fˈiːdɐ/
Definitions
01animal food container
A2 · Elementary Countable noun
n. a container or device that holds food for animals or birds.
n. a container or apparatus designed to provide food for animals, particularly birds or livestock.
“We hung a bird feeder in the garden to attract woodpeckers and finches.”
“The farmer refilled the automatic cattle feeder before the winter storm made the outer pastures inaccessible.”
02machine part
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Technical
n. a part of a machine that moves material into it.
n. a component of a mechanical system that supplies raw material or parts for processing.
“The paper feeder on the printer is jammed again.”
“The assembly line came to a halt when the primary feeder failed to deliver the silicon wafers to the robotic arm.”
03preparatory school
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun Education
n. a school that sends many of its students to a specific higher-level school or university.
n. an educational institution that regularly prepares and sends students to a more prestigious or higher-level institution.
“This primary school is a feeder for the best high school in the city.”
“The university maintains strong ties with several local feeder colleges to ensure a steady stream of qualified applicants for its engineering programme.”
Synonyms
04tributary or branch
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Technical
n. a smaller stream, road, or power line that joins a larger one.
n. a tributary stream, branch railway line, or transmission line that supplies a main system.
“The small stream acts as a feeder for the main canal.”
“The regional power grid relies on several high-voltage feeders to distribute electricity from the substation to the surrounding suburbs.”
05gaming slang
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Sports Slang · Informal
n. a player who dies many times in a game, which helps the other team win.
n. a player who repeatedly allows their character to be killed by the opposition, thereby providing the opponents with experience or gold.
“Our team lost because one player was a feeder and kept giving the enemy points.”
“The community often reports players who act as intentional feeders, as it ruins the competitive balance of the match.”
Antonyms
06mining gas fissure
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Mining Technical
n. a crack in a mine that lets out dangerous gas.
n. a fissure or crack in a coal seam from which explosive gas, such as firedamp, escapes.
“The miners had to leave the tunnel because of a gas feeder.”
“Safety inspectors identified a significant feeder in the western shaft, necessitating an immediate upgrade to the ventilation system.”
Usage
Commonly used in compound nouns like 'bird feeder' or 'feeder road'.
Real-World Examples
“They taught two individual birds that they could also eat bright red or blue almonds, then set up feeders containing these colorful almonds in their group.” Etymology
From Middle English feedere, federe, fedare, equivalent to feed + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/feeder