Feeder
/ˈfiː.dər/noun
A person, animal, device, or channel that supplies food, material, energy, or information.
Did you know?The root behind “feed” is connected with the ancient Indo-European idea of nourishing or sustaining life, giving the word a surprisingly primal foundation.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peh₂-
“To protect, nourish, or feed; a reconstructed root associated with sustaining life.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*fōdijaną
“To feed or provide nourishment.”
Old English
Old English
fēdan
“To nourish, feed, support, or bring up.”
Middle English
Middle English
feden
“To feed or supply with food; the verb developed related agent nouns.”
15th Century
English
feeder
“One who or that which feeds; an agent noun formed from feed plus the suffix -er.”
Modern English
English
feeder
“A person, animal, tributary, supply device, or channel that provides something to another system.”