NYT Dictionary

FOOD

/fuːd/
NounFOODGrade 2

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026

Meaning

Any solid substance that can be consumed by living organisms, especially by eating, in order to sustain life.

Etymology

Origin: Old English

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *peh₂-der. Proto-Germanic *fōdô Old English fōda Middle English fode English food From Middle English fode, foode, from Old English fōda (“food”), from Proto-West Germanic *fōdō, from Proto-Germanic *fōdô (“food”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- (“to guard, graze, feed”). Cognate with Scots fuid (“food”), Low German föde, vöde (“food”), West Frisian fiedsel (“food”), Dutch voedsel (“food”) Danish føde (“food”), Swedish föda (“food”), Icelandic fæða, fæði (“food”), Gothic 𐍆𐍉𐌳𐌴𐌹𐌽𐍃 (fōdeins, “food”), Latin pānis (“bread, food”), Latin pāscō (“feed, nourish”, verb). Related to fodder, foster.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

belly-timberchowcomestibleeatsfeedfodderfoodstuffgrubnoshnourishment

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 10 recorded puzzles:

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