# fodder

/ˈfɑdɝ/ (US) · /fˈɒdɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fodder
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. animal food

noun · CEFR B2

dried food, such as hay or straw, given to farm animals like cows and horses.

For teachers: 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.

### 4. to feed animals

verb · CEFR C2 · Dialect

to give food to farm animals.

For teachers: 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.

## Examples

- The farmer stored the winter fodder in the barn.
- The celebrity's messy divorce provided endless fodder for the local tabloid newspapers for several months.
- While the infantry were often treated as mere cannon fodder by the high command, the logistical reality of the campaign required them to be treated as a finite and precious resource.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.