Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - eat

(eats, eating, ate, eaten) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. 1. When you eat something, you put it into your mouth, chew it, and swallow it. She was eating a sandwich... We took our time and ate slowly. VERB: V n, V 2. If you eat sensibly or healthily, you eat food that is good for you. ...a campaign to persuade people to eat more healthily. VERB: V adv 3. If you eat, you have a meal. Let’s go out to eat... We ate lunch together a few times. VERB: V, V n 4. If something is eating you, it is annoying or worrying you. (INFORMAL) ‘What the hell’s eating you?’ he demanded. VERB: only cont, V n 5. If you have someone eating out of your hand, they are completely under your control. She usually has the press eating out of her hand. PHRASE: V and N inflect 6. to have your cake and eat it: see cake dog eat dog: see dog to eat humble pie: see humble