drip-feedv.
/ˈdrɪpfiːd/, /ˌdrɪpˈfiːd/, U.S. /ˈdrɪpˌfid/ 1.
a. transitive. To introduce (a fluid) drop by drop, esp. continuously.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > liquid > liquid flow > action or process of dripping or falling in drops > drip or drop [verb (transitive)] > put in by drops
instil1547
drip-feed1958
drip-feed1959
1958 Sewage & Industr. Wastes 30 612/1 It is also noted that over-all average removal was higher when the filters were drip fed (61.0 per cent) than when the filters were fed intermittently (60.7 per cent).
1988 Sunday Mail (Brisbane) 16 Nov. [He] tried to fill up his new company car with super when labels clearly indicated it took only unleaded.... He still managed to drip-feed almost a litre before realising his mistake.
2010 Water Environment Res. 86 696/1 It may be possible to drip feed PAA [sc. peracetic acid] into manholes upstream of the WWF discharge locations as long as the contact time in-line exceeds 2 minutes.
b. transitive. To supply (a patient) with fluid, nutrients, or drugs intravenously through a drip; to supply (a drug) through a medicinal drip.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > liquid > liquid flow > action or process of dripping or falling in drops > drip or drop [verb (transitive)] > put in by drops
instil1547
drip-feed1958
drip-feed1959
1959 Daily Mail 31 Jan. 1/6 [He] will stay in hospital with round-the-clock nursing. At first he will be drip-fed with liquids through a vein.
1966 M. Woodhouse Tree Frog xxv. 181 Dr Chapman worked out a gadget which drip-feeds pentothal automatically... We switched it off by remote five minutes ago.
1987 O. Clark Diary 23 Dec. (1998) 228 He is drip-fed his painkiller which is morphine-based.
2002 Leicester Mercury (Nexis) 18 Jan. Linda has been expressing breast milk to drip feed Harry small amounts every day since he was born to make sure that he has the best start he possibly can.
2. transitive. To provide (something, esp. information) gradually, continuously, and in small amounts; to provide (a person) with something in this way.
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1982 Financial Times 1 June 19/1 Drip-fed with newspaper headlines about ‘streets of fear’, Britain has indeed become frightened, a condition on which the security industry has capitalised.
1997 Dickens Q. 14 86 Pip..drip-feeds the reader with information both to keep the suspense going and to leave little sign-posts for us to be gradually aware of the hero's misconstructions.
2002 Observer 20 Oct. (Cash section) 9/6 Those persuaded should still be wary of piling all their savings into tech stocks. Far better to drip-feed it in through regular savings.
2016 Australian (Nexis) 15 Nov. 15 Typical of the self-loathing mush and guff being drip-fed into the minds of the naive and gullible.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2022).
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v.1958