Food Definition: Sentences, Exercises, and Idioms

Learn how native speakers incorporate this word daily and try to create something similar on your own.

To discover more about the “food” description, take a look at the synonymous expressions to make your vocabulary rich and thus boost your English.

Related nouns: meal snack dish ingredient cuisine

Synonyms (contextual): nourishment

Common collocations: eat food prepare food traditional food healthy food

To define “food” more completely, it is always nice to understand in what combinations you can use this word, since collocations often offer more information and specifications.

With adjectives: delicious food organic food junk food vegetarian food spicy food

With verbs: taste food share food deliver food serve food donate food

With nouns (noun + noun): food court food container food chain food supply food menu

You now understand the meaning of “food”, but it is only when we talk about the direct sense. In this section, you can learn more about situations where this word is used figuratively.

• At the bottom of the food chain — in the lowest or least powerful position within a group, organization, or system.

  When I first started at the company, I was at the bottom of the food chain, doing all the small tasks no one else wanted..

• Food coma — a state of sleepiness or laziness after eating a large meal.

  After the big family dinner, everyone sank into the couch, completely in a food coma.

• Food for thought — something that makes you think deeply or consider an idea carefully.

  His presentation on climate change gave us a lot of food for thought.

• Put food on the table — to earn enough money to provide for yourself or your family.

  James used to work on two jobs to put food on the table for his wife and kids, but now he is a managing director in a big company and can afford everything.

• Be off (one’s) food — to have no desire to eat, often because of illness or stress.

  He’s been off his food since he caught that cold last week.

Complete this intellectual game to see what you know already and on which aspects you should focus your attention to avoid mistakes.

Learn how to say food and pronounce it in other popular languages and unlock your linguistic potential.

We invite you to rest a bit and check whether you are familiar with the following facts, since they will provide you with a greater view of a “food” in English and its influence on the history of humankind.

• Food that defies time.

  Honey contains natural preservatives like low water content and acidic pH, which prevent bacteria from growing. Archaeologists have discovered jars of honey in tombs of ancient Egypt, and after more than 3,000 years, they are still edible.

• When food becomes money.

  The Aztecs held cocoa beans in such high esteem that they became a medium of exchange in the trade of goods and services. Chocolate was not merely a delicacy; it was a divine and holy food that only the upper classes and the gods got to taste during important ceremonies.

• Not all food is what it seems.

  Bananas are botanically considered as berries because they grow from one ovary, while, on the other hand, strawberries have their seeds on the outer part of the fruit. This unexpected circumstance reveals that the scientific definitions do not necessarily coincide with the common food classifications.

• Food that might save your life.

  Capsaicin, which is responsible for the pungency of peppers, is believed to relieve inflammation and enhance the condition of the heart. Studies show that eating spicy food regularly can lower the risk of cancer, heart disease, and stroke, potentially contributing to a longer lifespan.

The description of “food” is stable and understandable, but this doesn’t make this word less important in our lives. Check how different people refer to the food in their sayings and discover what they meant.

— Michael Pollan

Explanation: This statement draws our attention to the fact that a lot of the current-day processed foods are very different from the original, pure ingredients, so it is always worth checking what we are going to consume.

— Jason Vale

Explanation: Vale points out that artificial and heavily processed foods can be a source of confusion to our metabolism, thus the body undergoes physical stress, leading to unhealthy weight gain.

— Michael Broadbent

Explanation: Broadbent emphasizes that the pleasure of food is not only the taste but the ambient and social aspects too. Life is made more vibrant through sharing good food and drinks with others, thus promoting culture, discussion, and unforgettable experiences.