feeder
- 01 A2 Elementary
a container or device that holds food for animals or birds.
a container or apparatus designed to provide food for animals, particularly birds or livestock.
Simple“We hung a bird feeder in the garden to attract woodpeckers and finches.”
In context“The farmer refilled the automatic cattle feeder before the winter storm made the outer pastures inaccessible.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a part of a machine that moves material into it.
a component of a mechanical system that supplies raw material or parts for processing.
Simple“The paper feeder on the printer is jammed again.”
In context“The assembly line came to a halt when the primary feeder failed to deliver the silicon wafers to the robotic arm.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
a school that sends many of its students to a specific higher-level school or university.
an educational institution that regularly prepares and sends students to a more prestigious or higher-level institution.
Simple“This primary school is a feeder for the best high school in the city.”
In context“The university maintains strong ties with several local feeder colleges to ensure a steady stream of qualified applicants for its engineering programme.”
Synonymspreparatory school - 04 C1 Advanced
a smaller stream, road, or power line that joins a larger one.
a tributary stream, branch railway line, or transmission line that supplies a main system.
Simple“The small stream acts as a feeder for the main canal.”
In context“The regional power grid relies on several high-voltage feeders to distribute electricity from the substation to the surrounding suburbs.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
a player who dies many times in a game, which helps the other team win.
a player who repeatedly allows their character to be killed by the opposition, thereby providing the opponents with experience or gold.
Simple“Our team lost because one player was a feeder and kept giving the enemy points.”
In context“The community often reports players who act as intentional feeders, as it ruins the competitive balance of the match.”
Antonyms - 06 C2 Proficiency
a crack in a mine that lets out dangerous gas.
a fissure or crack in a coal seam from which explosive gas, such as firedamp, escapes.
Simple“The miners had to leave the tunnel because of a gas feeder.”
In context“Safety inspectors identified a significant feeder in the western shaft, necessitating an immediate upgrade to the ventilation system.”
From Middle English feedere, federe, fedare, equivalent to feed + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.