EAT, v.t. pret. ate; pp. eat or eaten. L. edo, esse, esum.

1. To bite or chew and swallow, as food.

Men eat flesh and vegetables.

They shall make thee to eat grass as oxen. Dan.4.

2. To corrode; to wear away; to separate parts of a thing gradually, as an animal by gnawing. We say a cancer eats the flesh.

3. To consume; to waste.

When goods increase, they are increased that eat them. Ecc.5.

4. To enjoy.

If ye be willing and obedient,ye shall eat the good of the land. Is.1.

5. To consume; to oppress.

Who eat up my people as they eat bread. Ps.14.

6. To feast.

Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die. Is.22.

In scripture, to eat the flesh of Christ, is to believe on him and be nourished by faith.

To eat one's words, is to swallow back; to take back what has been uttered; to retract.

EAT, v.i. To take food; to feed; to take a meal, or to board.

He did eat continually at the king's table. 2 Sam.

Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners. Matt.9.

1. To take food; to be maintained in food.

To eat, or to eat in or into, is to make way by corrosion; to gnaw, to enter by gradually wearing or separating the parts of a substance. A cancer eats into the flesh.

Their word will eat as doth a canker. 2 Tim.2.

To eat out, to consume.

Their word will eat out the vitals of religion, corrupt and destroy it.