to feed someone

English translation: you can feed a person

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)

English term or phrase:	to feed someone
Selected answer:	you can feed a person
Entered by:	lafresita (X)

09:15 Oct 29, 2004

English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
Food & Drink / Great Britain

English term or phrase: to feed someone

Can you say it 'to feed a person'? Because one of my Greek housemates says that you can only use 'feed' regarding to animals.

One of them said: 'how many times did you feed me'

But I think you CAN say that regarding to a person, can't you?

lafresita (X) KudoZ activity Questions: 779 (1 open) (1 without valid answers) (9 closed without grading) Answers: 1541 United Kingdom
Local time: 08:27

you can feed a person

Explanation:
You feed babies, and sick people who can't eat on their own.
You can also say "feed a person" to mean proving the food for them, as in feeding the poor.

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Note added at 4 mins (2004-10-29 09:20:26 GMT)
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sorry, providing the food

Selected response from:

Melanie Nassar
United States
Local time: 10:27

Grading comment

Thanks to all!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

5 +19

you can feed a person

Melanie Nassar

5 +3

yes

Calou

5 +1

feed as a noun (not this case)

moken

Discussion entries: 3

Answers

4 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +19

you can feed a person

Melanie Nassar
United States
Local time: 10:27
Native speaker of: English

Grading comment

Thanks to all!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

gulser (X)

9 mins

-> thanks

agree

Nizamettin Yigit: yes. it is used both direct or in-direct meanings.

30 mins

-> thanks

agree

ohemulen

42 mins

-> thanks

agree

Olga B

51 mins

agree

lindaellen (X)

1 hr

agree

Heidi Stone-Schaller

1 hr

agree

Charlie Bavington: absolutely.

1 hr

agree

moken: :O)

2 hrs

agree

Henrique Serra: Just read II Samuel 5:2 -> "Thou shalt feed my people Israel"

2 hrs

agree

Alfa Trans (X)

3 hrs

agree

humbird: Perfectly correct English.

4 hrs

agree

Monika Rozwarzewska: sure

5 hrs

agree

conejo: it works, it means "supplying food" Example: That family has 7 children to feed. It also works with adults, as in your case. : )

5 hrs

agree

nlingua

6 hrs

agree

Refugio: To feed can be used to mean to provide food for, and yet a native speaker probabaly would have said "You have cooked for me so many times", since to feed is often to spoon food into someone's mouth, as little children, invalids or the very elderly.

7 hrs

agree

DGK T-I: "When I get older losing my hair, many years from now.... Will you still need me, Will you still feed me, When I'm sixty-four..." Paul McCartney http://www.merseyworld.com/imagine/lyrics/whenim64.htm

1 day 15 hrs

-> right,and 64 is not as far off as it once seemed :-)

agree

Peter Linton (X)

2 days 11 hrs

agree

sonja29 (X)

3 days 3 hrs

agree

Eva Olsson: "He has a big family to feed" , "many mouths to feed" e.g.

6 days

4 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

yes

Explanation:
you are right

Calou
Local time: 09:27
Native speaker of:

French

1 hr confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

feed as a noun (not this case)

Explanation:
Hi "m",

Of course, I completely agree with my colleagues in the context and form provided.

Just in case you want to provide your flatmate with a little extra info, as an explanatory note, we can use the word "feed" as a noun. When we do, this refers to the type of food that is given to animals (animal feed). You would not give humans "feed".

Some examples:

Product Board Animal Feed (PDV) - [ Traduzca esta página ]The Product Board Animal Feed is a regulatory industrial organization for businesses and for employees in the animal feed production chain. butt_loop. ...
www.pdv.nl/index_eng.php?switch=1 - 9k - 27 Oct 2004 - En caché - Páginas similares

Transgenic DNA in Animal Feed - [ Traduzca esta página ]... Transgenic DNA in Animal Feed. ... Steps should be taken to ensure that no GM material will be fed to animals directly or incorporated into commercial animal feed. ...
www.i-sis.org.uk/anifeed.php - 34k - 27 Oct 2004 - En caché - Páginas similares

Analysis of Animal Feed/Pet Food - [ Traduzca esta página ]A leader in the field of Animal Feed and Pet Food testing:interpretation of results,advice on testing protocols, chemical and microbiological tests for ...
www.eclipsescientific.co.uk/animal_feed/animalmain.html - 34k - En caché - Páginas similares

moken
Local time: 08:27
Native speaker of: Spanish

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