4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Eat  \Eat\  ([=e]t),  v.  t.  [imp.  {Ate}  ([=a]t;  277),  Obsolescent  & 
  Colloq.  {Eat}  ([e^]t);  p.  p.  {Eaten}  ([=e]t"'n),  Obs.  or 
  Colloq.  {Eat}  ([e^]t);  p.  pr  &  vb  n.  {Eating}.]  [OE.  eten, 
  AS  etan;  akin  to  OS  etan,  OFries  eta,  D.  eten,  OHG.  ezzan 
  G.  essen,  Icel.  eta,  Sw  ["a]ta,  Dan.  [ae]de,  Goth.  itan,  Ir 
  &  Gael.  ith,  W.  ysu,  L.  edere,  Gr  'e`dein,  Skr.  ad  [root]6. 
  Cf  {Etch},  {Fret}  to  rub,  {Edible}.] 
  1.  To  chew  and  swallow  as  food;  to  devour;  --  said  especially 
  of  food  not  liquid;  as  to  eat  bread.  ``To  eat  grass  as 
  oxen.''  --Dan.  iv  25. 
 
  They  .  .  .  ate  the  sacrifices  of  the  dead.  --Ps. 
  cvi.  28. 
 
  The  lean  .  .  .  did  eat  up  the  first  seven  fat  kine. 
  --Gen.  xli. 
  20. 
 
  The  lion  had  not  eaten  the  carcass.  --1  Kings 
  xiii.  28. 
 
  With  stories  told  of  many  a  feat,  How  fairy  Mab  the 
  junkets  eat.  --Milton. 
 
  The  island  princes  overbold  Have  eat  our  substance. 
  --Tennyson. 
 
  His  wretched  estate  is  eaten  up  with  mortgages. 
  --Thackeray. 
 
  2.  To  corrode,  as  metal,  by  rust;  to  consume  the  flesh,  as  a 
  cancer;  to  waste  or  wear  away  to  destroy  gradually;  to 
  cause  to  disappear. 
 
  {To  eat  humble  pie}.  See  under  {Humble}. 
 
  {To  eat  of}  (partitive  use).  ``Eat  of  the  bread  that  can  not 
  waste.''  --Keble. 
 
  {To  eat  one's  words},  to  retract  what  one  has  said  (See  the 
  Citation  under  {Blurt}.) 
 
  {To  eat  out},  to  consume  completely.  ``Eat  out  the  heart  and 
  comfort  of  it.''  --Tillotson. 
 
  {To  eat  the  wind  out  of  a  vessel}  (Naut.),  to  gain  slowly  to 
  windward  of  her 
 
  Syn:  To  consume;  devour;  gnaw;  corrode. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Eating  \Eat"ing\,  n. 
  1.  The  act  of  tasking  food;  the  act  of  consuming  or 
  corroding. 
 
  2.  Something  fit  to  be  eaten;  food;  as  a  peach  is  good 
  eating.  [Colloq.] 
 
  {Eating  house},  a  house  where  cooked  provisions  are  sold,  to 
  be  eaten  on  the  premises. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  eating 
  n  :  the  act  of  consuming  food  [syn:  {feeding}] 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Eating 
  The  ancient  Hebrews  would  not  eat  with  the  Egyptians  (Gen. 
  43:32).  In  the  time  of  our  Lord  they  would  not  eat  with 
  Samaritans  (John  4:9),  and  were  astonished  that  he  ate  with 
  publicans  and  sinners  (Matt.  9:11).  The  Hebrews  originally  sat 
  at  table,  but  afterwards  adopted  the  Persian  and  Chaldean 
  practice  of  reclining  (Luke  7:36-50).  Their  principal  meal  was 
  at  noon  (Gen.  43:16;  1  Kings  20:16;  Ruth  2:14;  Luke  14:12).  The 
  word  eat"  is  used  metaphorically  in  Jer.  15:16;  Ezek.  3:1;  Rev. 
  10:9.  In  John  6:53-58,  "eating  and  drinking"  means  believing  in 
  Christ.  Women  were  never  present  as  guests  at  meals  (q.v.). 
 

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