Word
fodder
Phoneticsfod·der, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈfɑdɝ/
UK/fˈɒdɐ/
Definitions
01animal food
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. dried food, such as hay or straw, given to farm animals like cows and horses.
n. bulk food for livestock, typically consisting of dried hay, straw, or silage.
“The farmer stored plenty of fodder in the barn to keep the cattle fed through the winter.”
“During the drought, the price of fodder skyrocketed, forcing many local ranchers to sell off their herds earlier than planned.”
Synonyms
02material that feeds a topic, joke, or argument
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. something people use as material for jokes, arguments, or stories. It is often used in the pattern "X is fodder for Y".
n. material that supplies or feeds a topic, joke, or argument. Typically used in the pattern "X is fodder for Y".
“The scandal was fodder for the late-night comedians.”
“A careless remark by the senator became fodder for the opposition campaign and filled its ads for weeks.”
Synonyms
03people used up for a cause or process
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Formal
n. people, usually soldiers, who are sent into danger and treated as if they do not matter. The phrase is "cannon fodder".
n. people sacrificed or used up for a cause, typically in the phrase "cannon fodder" for soldiers sent into battle with little regard for their lives.
“The general was accused of treating young recruits as cannon fodder.”
“Historians have blamed commanders who threw ordinary soldiers into battle as cannon fodder.”
Synonyms
04to feed animals
C2 · Proficiency Dialect
v. to give food to farm animals.
v. to provide livestock with fodder; primarily used in regional or agricultural contexts.
“He went out to the fields early in the morning to fodder the sheep.”
“In the remote valley, the traditional practice of foddering the cattle by hand remained unchanged for generations.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “fodder” in context.
Verb
01. act as fodder
“His awkward speech acted as fodder for comedians.”
verb + prep + noun
02. grow fodder
“Many small farms grow fodder for their own livestock.”
verb + noun
03. provide fodder
“Crop residues provide fodder for cattle in the dry season.”
verb + noun
Adjective
04. dry fodder
“During the drought, cattle survived mainly on dry fodder.”
adj + noun
05. green fodder
“Farmers cut green fodder daily to feed their dairy cows.”
adj + noun
06. perfect fodder
“Celebrity mistakes are perfect fodder for late-night hosts.”
adj + noun
07. political fodder
“The leaked emails became political fodder for the opposition.”
adj + noun
Noun
08. cannon fodder
“Young recruits were treated as mere cannon fodder.”
noun + noun
09. fodder for debate
“The new policy became fodder for heated debate.”
noun + prep + noun
10. perfect fodder for gossip
“The celebrity wedding was perfect fodder for gossip.”
11. provide fodder for critics
“The delayed project will provide fodder for critics.”
12. rich fodder for comedians
“The election chaos provided rich fodder for comedians.”
Usage
Often used figuratively with 'for' to describe material used for a specific purpose, such as 'fodder for gossip'.
Real-World Examples
“In 2015, his family life became tabloid fodder in a back-and-forth between his second wife, Mary, and Adam, his son from a previous marriage.” “The self-flagellations of adolescence and its suddenly streaking hormones can make great fodder for comedy.” “Some farmers in western France started cutting non-irrigated maize crops even before grain pollination this week to salvage plants for use as livestock fodder, said Franck Laborde, head of growers group AGPM.” “The regular fodder enemies are almost like the mobs in a MOBA game (like League of Legends) – they’re a means to an end, a resource to be farmed as quickly as possible.” Etymology
From Old English fōdor, meaning feed or fodder, and Middle English fodder or foder. The term descends from Proto-West Germanic fōdr and Proto-Germanic fōdrą, which originated in the Proto-Indo-European root peh₂-, meaning to guard, graze, or feed.
Cognates include the Saterland Frisian Fodder, West Frisian foer, Dutch voer, and German Futter. It shares a common ancestor with the word food.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
- 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.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL 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: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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