1. vt. & vi.吃，喝；吃饭　 take in through the mouth and swallow solid food or soup; have a meal
2. vt.消耗，毁坏；侵蚀，腐蚀，蛀蚀　 damage or destroy sth; use up, damage, or destroy

　～ a hole　咬一个洞
　～ an apple　吃苹果
　～ bread　吃面包
　～ dirt　忍气吞声，低声下气，含垢忍辱
　～ egg　吃鸡蛋
　～ fish　吃鱼
　～ fruit　吃水果
　～ meat　吃肉
　～ one's words　收回前言，认错道歉
　～ porridge　喝粥
　～ post　蛀柱子
　～ soup　喝汤
　～ a great deal　吃得很多
　～ outdoors　在户外吃
　～ three times a day　一天吃三餐
　～ barbarously　野蛮地侵蚀
　～ enormously　大量地吃
　～ excessively　过量地食用
　～ fastidiously　挑剔地吃
　～ greedily　贪婪地吃
　～ healthfully　有益健康地吃
　～ heartily　吃得很痛快
　～ heavily　吃得很多
　～ hungrily　狼吞虎咽
　～ hurriedly　匆匆地吃
　～ incontinently　无节制地吃
　～ inordinately　过度饮食
　～ insufficiently　不够吃
　～ leisurely　悠闲自在地吃
　～ liberally　大量地吃
　～ noisily　发出响声地吃
　～ plentifully　大量地吃
　～ ravenously　大口吞食
　～ regularly　有规律地吃
　～ sparingly　吃得很节省
　～ swiftly　快速吃
　～ voraciously　狼吞虎咽地吃，贪食
　～ wolfishly　狼吞虎咽
　～ away　不停地吃，咬坏，蛀坏，侵蚀
　～ away the banks　（河水）侵蚀两岸
　～ in　在家吃饭
　～ out　在外面吃饭
　～ one's heart out　忧伤过度，极为悲伤
　～ up　吃光，吞没，耗尽，使…劳累〔苦恼〕，使…沉迷于，对…极为欣赏
　～ up one's savings　耗尽自己的积蓄
　～ up with pride　骄傲冲昏了头脑
　～ against time　抓紧时间吃
　～ at　折磨
　～ between meals　吃零食
　～ for　吃什么，准备当
　～ from a bowl　用碗吃饭
　～ from tall trees　吃到高树上的叶子
　～ in　用…方式饮食
　～ into　腐蚀，耗费
　～ into metal　腐蚀金属
　～ into sb's pocket　使某人花费太多
　～ like　吃起来像
　～ off gold plates　用金盘子用餐
　～ out of　吃穷，听命于
　～ sb out of house and home　把某人吃穷
　～ through sth　把某物腐蚀穿
　～ to one's heart's content　吃得心满意足
　～ with relish　吃得津津有味
　～ with chopsticks　用筷子吃饭

　He was too ill to eat.　他病重得不能吃东西。
　When do we eat?　我们什么时候吃饭?
　We have eaten already.　我们已经吃过了。
　Don't eat so quickly.　不要吃这么快。
　We eat at noon.　我们中午进餐。
　I will eat at home.　我愿在家吃饭。
　Sugar canes eat sweet.　甘蔗吃起来很甜。
　Crackers alone eat very dry.　光吃饼干口很干。
　It eats crisp.　这东西吃上去松脆。
　This fish eats well.　这鱼好吃。
　We eat to live, not live to eat.　我们吃饭是为了活着，而不是活着为了吃饭。
　What shall we eat?　我们该吃什么?
　She never eats fat.　她从不吃肥肉。
　She doesn't eat potatoes.　她不吃土豆。
　He ate a piece of pear.　他吃了一片梨。
　She had never eaten Chinese food before.　她以前未吃过中国食品。
　What do you usually eat for lunch?　你午饭通常吃什么?
　He eats a big supper.　他晚饭吃得很多。
　Tigers eat meat.　老虎吃肉。
　She seldom eats her words.　她很少认错道歉。
　He said no one could beat him at tennis but he had to eat his words after losing twice.　他说打网球没人能胜过他，但是输了两场以后，他不得不收回了他的话。
　We challenged his statement, and before long had him eat his words.　我们盘问他讲的事情，不久就逼得他认错道歉。
　Time eats the strongest walls.　年代久远很坚固的墙垣也要坏。
　An old car eats oil.　旧车费油。
　Harvesting machines are eating their way well into many fields, in spite of the wet weather.　虽然天下着雨，收割机还是在田间割了一片一片的庄稼。
　The Sunday Times would absolutely eat this clap.　《星期日泰晤士报》肯定为这家伙喝彩。
　All the cakes were eaten by the boys.　所有的蛋糕都被孩子们吃了。
　I made a fierce countenance as if I would eat him alive.　我脸色恶狠狠地，仿佛要把他活生生地吞下去。
　Don't eat the rice cold.　别吃凉饭。
　John and Mary ate their dinner cold.　约翰和玛丽吃到饭菜都凉了。
　They usually ate the herb raw.　他们经常吃未煮过的药草。

 ♣ eat at　(v.+prep.)
　折磨　disturb
　There was something else eating at him.　另有一件事情使他十分烦恼。
　Loneliness ate at her heart.　孤独感折磨着她。
 ♣ eat away　(v.+adv.)
1. 连续不断地吃 eat steadily or continuously
　Eat away, children, you are welcome to all you want.　吃吧，孩子们，尽情地吃吧。
　They have been eating away for more than an hour.　他们一直吃了一个多小时。
　The children are in the kitchen, eating away as usual.　孩子们在厨房里，像平常一样痛快地吃着东西。
2. 侵蚀，腐蚀，锈蚀；咬坏，蛀坏 destroy gradually by erosion; damage sth by bite
　The river is eating away the bank in several places.　河水正侵蚀着好几处河岸。
　The sea water is eating away the base of the cliff.　海水冲蚀着悬崖的底部。
　Frost and weather had eaten away the mortar.　风霜雨雪剥蚀了泥灰。
　Rust was eating away the iron post.　铁锈腐蚀着铁柱。
　Cancer ate away the healthy flesh.　癌症侵蚀了健康的肌体。
　The rats have eaten away most of the woodwork.　老鼠把木器全啃坏了。
　This part has been eaten away by insects.　这部分被虫子蛀掉了。
　The river bank is slowly being eaten away.　河岸正在慢慢地被侵蚀掉。
　The sea has been eating away at this cliff for centuries.　千百年来海水一直在侵蚀着这悬崖峭壁。
 ♣ eat from　(v.+prep.)
　用…吃饭　have a meal using sth
　The Chinese eat rice from bowls.　中国人用碗吃饭。
 ♣ eat in　(v.+adv.)
1. 在家吃饭 have a meal at home
　I don't mind eating in if you do the cooking.　如果你烧饭的话，我不反对在家吃饭。
　We aren't going out. We're eating in tonight.　我们不准备出门，今晚在家吃饭。
　We shall be eating in tonight, so please prepare a big meal.　我们今晚在家吃饭，请多准备点饭菜。
2. 在学校就餐 have a meal at school
　Most of the students eat in.　大多数学生在校就餐。
 ♣ eat into　(v.+prep.)
1. 腐蚀，侵蚀 attack or make a hole in sth, especially of chemical action
　Don't let decadent ideas eat into yourselves.　别让腐朽的思想侵蚀你。
　Acids eat into metals.　酸会腐蚀金属。
　The sulphuric acid ate into the parts of the metal where the coat of paint had peeled.　硫酸腐蚀了这块铁上涂层剥落的地方。
　Can you see where the rust has begun eating into the bottom of the driver's door?　你能看得出铁锈是从哪儿开始侵蚀到司机座旁的那扇门底部吗?
　The substance has begun eating into the woodwork.　这种物质开始腐蚀木器。
　The insects eat into the wood.　虫蛀坏了木头。
　The icy chill ate into my bones.　我感到寒气侵骨。
　The sea has eaten into the north shore.　海水侵蚀了北岸。
　Don't leave the aluminium spoon in the saltcellar. It will be eaten into by salt.　别把铝勺留在盐罐中，因为盐腐蚀铝。
2. 消耗 use part of (a reserve of money, stocks, etc.)
　The school fees have eaten into our savings.　为了支付学费，我们已经开始动用积蓄了。
　The money they spent on the washing machine ate into their holiday savings.　他们买洗衣机用掉了他们准备度假的一部分积蓄。
　Jim's illness has seriously eaten into his small savings.　吉姆因生病几乎花光了他不多的积蓄。
　They were eating themselves into their graves.　他们吃喝过度，在自找死路。
3. 对…产生不良的作用或影响 have bad effect on sb/sth
　The sort of Persian summer day here ate into you with its heat.　波斯夏天的酷热真叫人受不了。
　Guilt had been eating into his conscience for some months.　几个月来内疚一直折磨着他的良心。
 ♣ eat of　(v.+prep.)
　吃…中的一部分　eat part of sth
　〔说明〕 eat of是古旧用法，现只见于童话中。
　They ate heartily of the meal.　他们饱餐了一顿。
　The tiger ate of the deer.　老虎吃了鹿的一部分。
 ♣ eat off　(v.+prep.)
1. 使用…吃饭 eat (one's food) from (certain dishes)
　Does Queen really eat off gold plates?　女王真的用金餐具吃饭吗?
2. 吃掉…的一部分 eat part of; have one's meals from (a piece of food)
　We can all eat off this large chicken for three days.　这只大鸡够我们大家吃三天。
　The boy spat out the pill after eating off its sugar coating.　孩子吃掉药丸外面的糖衣，却把药心吐了出来。
3. 吃（某人）白食 eat at the cost of (sb else)
　〔说明〕 eat off作此解时不用于被动结构。
　He's been eating off his brother for weeks.　几星期来，他一直吃他哥哥的。
 ♣ eat out　(v.+adv.)
1. 在外吃饭，下馆子 eat at a restaurant rather than at home
　They can't afford to eat out nowadays.　他们现在下不起馆子了。
　They had to eat out because the stove broke down.　炉子坏了，他们只得到外面吃。
　He used to eat out in the evening.　他过去在晚上常出去吃饭。
　I'm too tired to cook tonight; shall we eat out?　今晚我累得不能做饭了，我们去外面吃好吗?
　I see no point eating out so often with a spacious and well-equipped kitchen at home.　我不明白家里有这么宽敞、设备齐全的厨房，为什么还要经常到外面吃饭。
　We need a baby-sitter tonight, because we are eating out.　我们今晚需要一个看孩子的，因为我们要到外边吃饭。
　I used to eat out in the evening when my parents were on night shifts.　以前，我父母上夜班时，我常在外面吃晚饭。
2. 侵蚀，腐蚀，锈蚀 destroy gradually by or as by erosion
　Rust had eaten out the gun barrel.　铁锈腐蚀了枪管。
　A little oil presently eats out the colour.　只要有一点油就会使那颜色褪去。
3. 〈口〉默默忍受痛苦；极为悲伤 suffer in silence; be very sad
　〔说明〕 eat out作此解时不用于被动结构。
　She is eating her heart out because Jim never writes to her.　她非常难过，因为吉姆从来不给她写信。
　She was eating her heart out for her missing child.　她为她丢失的孩子在默默无闻地忍受悲痛。
　She is eating her heart out because she can't go to that dance.　她正在发愁，因为她不能去参加那个舞会。
　It's no use eating your heart out about things that can't be helped.　没有法子的事，着急也没有用。
　What's done is done, and it's no use eating your heart out about it.　过去的事情已无法改变，悲伤也无济于事。
 ♣ eat out of　(v.+adv.+prep.)
　吃…中的食物　eat food in sth
　Make sure that the dog always eats out of his own dish.　一定要让狗吃完它自己碟中的食物。
 ♣ eat through　(v.+prep.)
1. 吃掉…的大部分 eat most of (food)
　That boy has eaten through a week's supply in a day!　这小伙子一天就吃光了一个星期的食品！
2. 因化学作用把…蚀穿，腐蚀成洞 make a hole through (material or an object) by chemical action
　The acid has eaten through the metal.　酸把这块金属腐蚀穿了。
 ♣ eat up　(v.+adv.)
1. 吃光；尽情地吃 eat all; eat completely or heartily
　Come on, eat up; there's plenty left!　来，全部吃光，还剩好多呢！
　There is plenty for us, so eat up!　东西多得很，吃个痛快吧！
　After swimming all afternoon, they quickly ate up all their dinners.　游泳游了一下午之后，他们把晚饭一扫而光。
　The children ate up all the candies.　孩子们把糖果吃光了。
　Eat up your vegetables; there's a good girl!　把菜都吃光，那才是个好姑娘！
　The boy was not allowed to leave the table until he had eaten up his vegetables.　那男孩不把菜吃光，就不让他离开饭桌。
　The mother told the child to eat up her spinach and to drink up her milk.　母亲告诉孩子把菠菜吃掉并把牛奶喝完。
　After playing all afternoon, we were so hungry that we ate up all the cookies in the house.　玩了一下午后，我们都很饿，以至将家里所有吃的都一扫而光。
　The worms will soon eat up all the leaves on the trees if we don't stop them.　如果我们不加制止的话，虫子很快就会把树叶吃个精光。
　The cat ate up three little mice.　这猫吃了三只小老鼠。
　In a short while, the cat ate up the fish.　不久，那只猫便将鱼吃个精光。
2. 耗尽；吞没 consume completely; destroy as if by eating; have a destructive effect upon
　Extravagant spending ate up his savings.　大肆挥霍耗尽了他的积蓄。
　Rent eats up as much as 25 to 35 per cent of the whole family income.　房租要耗去全家收入的25%到35%。
　That big house eats up money.　那幢大房子所耗费用巨大。
　This new heating system eats up electricity.　这个新供暖系统耗电量很大。
　It's true that it's a comfortable car, but it eats up the petrol.　这辆车确实舒服，但耗油量太大了。
　It ate up all his time.　这事把他所有的时间都占用掉了。
　Idle talk had eaten up the hour before they knew it.　闲谈不知不觉地耗费掉了他们的时间。
　Don't let family cares eat up your interest in literary pursuits.　不要让家庭操劳消磨掉你对文学研究的兴趣。
　The flames ate up the building.　大火烧毁了房子。
　The house was eaten up by flames in no time.　房子顷刻被火吞没。
　Her savings have been eaten up by illness.　她的积蓄因为生病全给用光了。
　Wage increases were eaten up by the rise in the cost of living.　工资的增加全给生活费用的上涨抵消掉了。
3. 使苦恼，使精疲力竭 distress; strain; exhaust
　Is something eating her up?She seems worried.　她有什么伤心事吗? 她似乎很烦恼。
4. 盲目相信，全盘接受 accept unquestioningly; believe uncritically
　He ate up the stories of their journeys.　他听了他们的游记故事，相信得不得了。
　When his friends told him that he was a first-class football player, he ate up their praise.　当朋友们说他是一个第一流的足球运动员时，他觉得十分心安理得。
　The girls told John he was a hero because he made the winning touchdown, and he ate up their praise.　姑娘们说约翰是英雄，因为他在比赛中赢得了决定性的一分，约翰听了心里乐滋滋的。
5. 迅速通过traverse (a ground, a distance, etc.) rapidly
　The boat was eating her way up towards the wind.　这条船迎风快速前进。
　The little red car ate up the soggy miles.　那辆红色小汽车一会儿就驶完了那段数英里长的湿漉漉的路。
　Twenty minutes in the car ate up the distance between the two shipyards.　乘20分钟汽车，就赶完了两座船厂之间的路程。
6. 〈非正〉击败；毁掉，搞垮 win one's opponent
　He was such a clever speaker that he always ate up the opposition.　他是个很精明的演说家，总能击败对手。
　You shouldn't have put the new teacher in charge of that troublesome class; they'll eat him up.　你不应该让那位新教师负责那个乱班，他们会搞垮他的。
 ♣ eat up with　(v.+adv.+prep.)
　〈非正〉充满强烈的（妒忌、欲望等）情感 be completely and violently full of (jealousy, desire, etc.)
　〔说明〕 eat up with通常用于被动结构。
　She seems to be eaten up with her own conceit.　她仿佛已经被骄傲冲昏了头脑。
　Don't be eaten up with pride.　不要被骄傲冲昏了头脑。
　She was eaten up with jealousy.　她妒火中烧。
　He is being eaten up with curiosity.　他好奇心切。
　Be careful not to get eaten up with pride.　注意，不要骄傲自满。

 ♣ eat of, eat up
　这两个短语都表示“吃”，而前者指“吃（一部分）”，后者指“吃光”。例如：

 ♣ eat out, dine out
　两者都有“在外吃饭”的意思。其区别在于：eat out通常只指在饭馆吃饭，不指在亲友家吃饭，而dine out可以指在饭馆吃饭，也可以指在亲友家吃饭。例如：
　The single man was tired of instant noodle and ate out for a change.　这个单身汉吃腻了方便面，于是下馆子换换口味。
　Did you remember that we had dined out at the Smiths?　你记得我们曾在史密斯家吃过饭吗?
 ♣ eat, feed
　这两个动词都有“进食”的意思。其区别在于：
1. 用作及物动词时， eat的主语多为人，偶尔可为动物（拟人化），宾语为食物；feed的主语一定为人，宾语为动物或者是老弱病残者。例如：
　We ate much the same thing for breakfast every day.　每天早餐我们总是吃这些同样的东西。
　The nurse is feeding the patient by means of a spoon.　护士在用汤匙给病人喂饭。
2. 用作不及物动词时， eat的主语可为人，也可为食物（这时主语含有被动意义）; feed的主语则为动物。例如：
　This kind of mushroom is eaten cooked.　这种蘑菇是炒熟了吃的。
　The horses were feeding quietly in the field.　马群在田野里悄悄地吃着东西。
3. eat只接简单宾语， feed除接简单宾语外，还可接双宾语，而eat不能接双宾语。例如：
　You may feed them anything you like.　你喜欢喂它们什么就喂什么。
 ♣ eat, consume, devour, ingest, swallow
　这几个词的共同意思是“吃”。其区别在于：eat最常用，指放入口中经过咀嚼再吞咽下去的过程，对人或物都适用，引申指缓慢地逐渐腐蚀或消磨过程；consume指吃完全部食物或喝光所有饮料，引申指消耗光所有的物质、金钱等；devour强调狼吞虎咽地吃，引申指吞灭或毁灭；ingest是生理学用语，指咽下或吸收的过程；swallow指不经过充分咀嚼就囫囵吞入肚中，强调匆忙。例如：
　The termites have eaten deep into the wood.　白蚁已经把木头蛀得很深了。
　The fire soon consumed the wooden building.　大火不久就烧毁了这座木头建筑物。
　He was devoured by hate.　他满腔怨恨。
　Twelve workers have ingested radioactive substances well above the permitted maximum. 　12名工人摄入体内的放射性物质已大大超过最大限度。
　This drug can't be swallowed; it has to be injected.　这药不能吞服，只能注射。

1. 请随便吃。
　［误］ Please eat as you like.
　［正］ Please help yourself.
　［析］ 表示“随便吃”，一般说help yourself, eat不含“随便”之义。
2. 花生吃起来很可口。
　［误］ Peanuts eat delicious.
　［正］ Peanuts are delicious.
　［析］ eat不可与形容词delicious连用，因为delicious本身就是“吃起来可口”的意思。
3. 他快速地吃过早饭。
　［误］ He ate a breakfast quickly.
　［正］ He ate his breakfast quickly.
　［正］ He had a breakfast quickly.
　［析］ eat a breakfast, lunch, supper等不合习惯，应该把a改为his, her, your等物主代词，或把eat改成have.
4. 医生告诉他一天吃三次药。
　［误］ The doctor told him to eat the medicine three times a day.
　［正］ The doctor told him to take the medicine three times a day.
　［析］ 表示“吃药”这一概念时，一般说take medicine或have medicine，不说eat medicine.
5. 他不知道怎样用筷子来吃东西。
　［误］ He doesn't know how to use chopsticks to eat with.
　［正］ He doesn't know how to use chopsticks to eat.
　［正］ He doesn't know how to eat with chopsticks.
　［析］ 表示“用筷子”，可说use chopsticks或with chopsticks, with含有“用”的意义，故用use就不必再用with.
6. 毕业后我一直在家吃饭。
　［误］ I have eaten at home since my graduation.
　［正］ I have been eating at home since my graduation.
　［析］ eat用于现在完成时必须带宾语，如不带宾语则须用现在完成进行时。
7. 他说他一周内还我钱，但他失信了。
　［误］ He said he would pay me back the money within a week, but he ate his word.
　［正］ He said he would pay me back the money within a week, but he broke his word.
　［析］ eat one's word和break one's word意思不同，前者意为“认错道歉，收回前言”，后者才是“食言，失信”的意思。

1. 当eat的宾语可以猜出且着重点不是宾语而是动作时，可以把宾语省略，用作不及物动词。例如：
　We must eat.　我们必须吃饭。
2. “喝汤”在英语中一般不说drink soup，而说eat soup，因为西餐的汤通常盛在盘子里，汤里有肉和蔬菜，用汤勺吃和喝。不过在喝“清汤”或盛在汤碗中的汤不用汤勺时，则可说drink soup.
3. 在美国口语中， eat还可作“使烦恼〔忧虑〕”解，常用在What's eating you〔him〕?和What's eating on you〔him〕?中，意思是“你〔他〕怎么啦?”或“你〔他〕有什么烦恼?”。例如：
　What's eating you?You've hardly said a word to me since you arrived this morning.　你怎么啦?今天早晨你来后就几乎没有同我说过一句话。
　He's been in a bad temper all day; I wonder what's eating on him.　他整天脾气都坏，我不明白是什么事在烦恼他。
4. eat是日常用语，过于直白，作为交际语言不太文雅，因此在家中用是可以的，对别人还是最好用have或take.

　［同义词］ chew, consume, devour, meal
　［反义词］ vomit
　［词源］　古英语etan（吃）