feedern.
/ˈfiːdə/, U.S. /ˈfidər/ One who or that which feeds.
1.
a. One who feeds or supplies food to (a person or animal); formerly often in contemptuous use, one who maintains (a parasite, a spy, etc.).
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the world > food and drink > food > providing or receiving food > [noun] > feeding > feeder
feeder1579
1579 T. Twyne tr. Petrarch Phisicke against Fortune i. lxiv. 88 b Often calling his Feeder by his name, and the better to perswade hym, flatteryng hym with [etc.].
1616 T. Gainsford Rich Cabinet f. 130 The horsse remembers..his feeder.
1659 J. Milton Considerations touching Hirelings 149 Idlenes with fulnes of bread begat pride and perpetual contention with thir feeders the despis'd laitie.
1683 Loyal Observator 11 His feeders..have..put him upon another jobb.
1725 A. Pope tr. Homer Odyssey III. xiv. 461 Those who..Blaspheme their feeder.
1826 B. Disraeli Vivian Grey I. ii. xvi. 237 Your Playing-up Toadey, who, unconscious to its feeder, is always playing up to its feeder's weaknesses.
1834 Brit. Husbandry (Libr. Useful Knowl.) I. viii. 203 The feeder should be provided with an elastic ramrod.
1866 C. Kingsley Hereward the Wake I. x. 229 I am Hereward,..the land-thief, the sea-thief, the feeder of wolf and raven.
1868 ‘G. Eliot’ Spanish Gypsy iii. 269 A handsome steed..Neighs to new feeders.
b. Sport. A trainer (of cocks or horses). ? Obsolete.
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the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > animal keeping practices general > [noun] > taming or training > tamer or trainer
dauntera1522
tamer1530
breaker1552
trainer1659
feeder1781
lion-tamer1798
domesticator1872
1781 P. Beckford Thoughts on Hunting iv. 53 I have inquired of my feeder..how he mixes up his meat.
1810 Sporting Mag. 36 55 The long main between the gentlemen of Staffordshire, Gosling feeder, and the gentlemen of Lancashire, Gilliver feeder, was won by the former.
c. transferred and figurative.
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the world > action or operation > easiness > aid, help, or assistance > support > support or encouragement > [noun] > supporter or encourager > chiefly in something bad > that feeds or maintains (a person or thing)
feeder1600
1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 v. v. 62 The tutor and the feeder of my riots. View more context for this quotation
1616 J. Hayward Sanctuarie Troubled Soule (1620) i. ii. 30 The comforts thereof are..feeders thereof with sweet poison.
1634 M. Sandys Prudence 176 Flattery..is the poysoning of Mans vnderstanding, the Feeder of humors.
1824 C. Lamb in London Mag. Sept. 226/1 The solitude of childhood..is the feeder of love.
1849 The Florist 319 Numerous fibrous roots..act as feeders.
1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. 291 Feeders, in pilot slang, are the passing spurts of rain which feed a gale.
1887 H. E. F. Garnsey & I. B. Balfour tr. H. A. de Bary Compar. Morphol. & Biol. Fungi 358 The plant or animal on which a parasite lives is termed its host or feeder.
2.
a. One who or that which eats or takes food; an eater; usually with adjective prefixed, as large, quick, etc. Also, feeder upon (a specified food).
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the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > eating > [noun] > eater
eatera1000
repaster1517
feeder1550
moutha1553
dieter1577
trencherman1590
assument1657
eatress1834
grubber1838
pecker1862
nosher1917
1550 J. Heywood Hundred Epigrammes xlvi. sig. Bviv Thone beyng an eater greedy and greate, Thother a weake feeder.
1639 J. Woodall Treat. Gangrena in Surgeons Mate (rev. ed.) 392 He..was a very large feeder.
1646 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica ii. vi. 98 The missell thrush, or feeder upon misseltoe. View more context for this quotation
1655 I. Walton Compl. Angler (ed. 2) 277 He [the barbel] is a curious feeder.
1718 N. Rowe tr. Lucan Pharsalia 302 The rav'nous Feeders riot at their ease.
1733 G. Cheyne Eng. Malady ii. vii. 186 No..full Feeder was ever opened, but he was found with some gross Fault in his Liver.
1798 R. Parkinson Experienced Farmer I. 175 They [sc. Downs Sheep] are..quick feeders.
1847 F. Parkman Calif. & Oregon Trail (1872) xxv. 352 The carcass was completely hollowed out by these voracious feeders.
1885 E. Clodd Myths & Dreams ii. iv. 165 The New Zealanders..were systematic feeders on human flesh.
b. One who eats at another's expense; a person dependent upon another for his food; a servant.
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society > authority > subjection > service > servant > retainer or follower > [noun] > dependant
spear1539
dependerc1565
dependant1598
pensionnaire1604
feedera1616
reliant1665
encumbrance1742
to-fall1822
loaf-eater1844
the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > eating > eating in specific conditions > [noun] > eating at another's expense > one who
feedera1616
cosherer1634
parasite1697
freeloader1933
dine-and-dasher1979
a1616 W. Shakespeare As you like It (1623) ii. iv. 98 I will your very faithfull Feeder be. View more context for this quotation
a1627 J. Fletcher & T. Middleton Nice Valour iii. i, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) sig. Uuu2/1 Now servants he has kept, lusty tall feeders.
c. transferred. Of a plant; also of a flame.
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1799 J. Robertson Gen. View Agric. Perth 133 The latter [potato] being a more tender feeder.
1878 R. Browning La Saisiaz in La Saisiaz: Two Poets of Croisic 1 Flame the stealthy feeder!
1882 The Garden 4 Feb. 87/3 The Fig..is a gross feeder.
d. plural. Cattle for feeding off or fattening.
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the world > animals > mammals > group Ungulata (hoofed) > group Ruminantia (sheep, goats, cows, etc.) > bos taurus or ox > [noun] > fattened or bred for slaughter > collectively
flesh16..
fat-ware1601
beef-cattle1758
feeders1790
Angus1810
beeves-
1790 W. Marshall Agric. Provincialisms in Rural Econ. Midland Counties II. 436 Feeders, fatting cattle.
1881 Chicago Times 1 June Stockers and feeders were dull.
e. dialect. One who grows abnormally fat.
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1886 R. E. G. Cole Gloss. Words S.-W. Lincs. The whole family of them are feeders.
3. An instrument, organ, or appliance for feeding (senses 1, 2):
a. a spoon (slang); a child's feeding bottle; a bib.
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the world > food and drink > food > setting table > table utensils > [noun] > cutlery > spoon
stickOE
spoonc1340
gob stick1691
feeder1811
the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > cleaning > cleaning or cleanliness of the person > [noun] > bib to keep clothes clean
muckender1420
bib1574
slabbering-bib1648
slobbering bib1697
drivel-bib1827
feeder1886
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > clothing for body or trunk (and limbs) > [noun] > that covers or protects other clothing > bib > for a child
muckender1420
bib1574
slabbering-bib1648
slobbering bib1697
drivel-bib1827
feeder1886
1811 Lexicon Balatronicum Feeder, a spoon. To nab the feeder; to steal a spoon.
1821 Life D. Haggart (ed. 2) 69 I do not remember what became of the feeders.
1821 Life D. Haggart (ed. 2) 73 I bought two wedge table-feeders.
1886 R. E. G. Cole Gloss. Words S.-W. Lincs. Feeder, a child's bib; also a feeding-bottle, or cup with a lip.
1895 Montgomery Ward Catal. Spring & Summer 80/1 Children's Feeders..fancy printed designs... Size 10 × 12.
1932 D. C. Minter Mod. Needlecraft 246/1 Feeder. Oblong 9″ × 12″ with neck hollowed out..plaited cord sewn on for tying.
1966 Price List (Olney Amsden & Sons) 1 Bibs and Feeders. Plastic..Feeders..12/- dozen.
b. Entomology one of the organs composing the mouth-parts.
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1826 W. Kirby & W. Spence Introd. Entomol. IV. 308 Feeders retracted (Trophi retracti) when in a perfect mouth the Trophi are not capable of being much pushed out or drawn in. Feeders retractile, when..the Trophi can be considerably pushed forth or drawn in.
4.
a. One who attends to the feeding of a flock; a herdsman, shepherd. ? Obsolete.
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the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > sheep-farming > [noun] > sheep herding > shepherd
shepherda1023
sheep's herdc1175
shepc1381
herd-groomc1384
pastorc1400
pastorelc1440
groomc1550
Pan1579
sheepman1591
pastoral1607
sheep-ward1609
feeder1611
sheep-herder1872
the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > animal keeping practices general > herding, pasturing, or confining > [noun] > herding > herdsman or woman
herdc725
herdmanc1000
lookera1225
tripherd1305
hogger1327
pastorc1400
pastorelc1440
leader1495
pasture-man1547
herd-maid1588
herdsman1603
pastoral1607
feeder1611
creaght1634
herder1635
keep1641
creaghter1653
town herd1760
herd-boy1799
stock-keeper1806
senn1826
herd-girla1856
herd-laddie1865
pastoralist1879
1611 Bible (King James) Gen. iv. 2 Abel was a keeper [margin feeder] of sheep. View more context for this quotation
1710 A. Philips Pastorals v. 9 When, with the Flocks, their Feeders sought the Shade.
1807 G. Chalmers Caledonia I. ii. vi. 309 They had only advanced..from being hunters, to being feeders of flocks.
b. figurative.
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the world > action or operation > safety > protection or defence > care, protection, or charge > [noun] > one who looks after > protector or patron
fathereOE
mundOE
governor1340
protectorc1390
feedera1400
patronc1400
taker-upa1425
fautora1464
provisora1475
vower1488
presidenta1522
parent1526
guardiant1618
big brother1837
avoué1851
fanger-
a1400–50 Alexander 2961 Is þis noȝt Philip son þe firs þe fedare of grece?
1413 J. Lydgate Pilgr. of Sowle (1859) iv. xxix. 62 O thou wretchyd herd and fals feder of the hows Israel.
c1430 Life St. Kath. (1884) 98 He ys my God my louer and my feder.
1597 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie v. lxxxi. 256 They are commanded to be..leaders, feeders, superuisors amongst their owne.
1659 G. Torriano Florio's Vocabolario Italiano & Inglese Pastóre..a Pastor or a Preacher, as it were a Feeder of souls.
5. † b. humorously. A crammer, tutor. Obsolete.
a. One who feeds up or fattens (an animal), esp. one whose business it is to feed cattle for slaughter.
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the world > food and drink > food > providing or receiving food > feeding animals > [noun] > feeder of animals
fodderereOE
feederc1430
the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > keeping of cattle > [noun] > fattener of cattle for slaughter
feederc1430
the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > animal keeping practices general > [noun] > fattening > one who fattens
feederc1430
fattener1611
fatter1671
c1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode (1869) i. iv. 2 A foulere oþer a feedere of briddes.
1669 J. Worlidge Systema Agriculturæ (1681) 176 In fatting of Geese..The Jews.. are esteem'd the skillfullest Feeders that be.
1893 Daily News 15 Feb. 5/8 The trade would become paralysed and both feeders and labourers suffer immensely.
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society > education > teaching > teacher > [noun] > professional teacher > crammer
feeder1766
puffer1786
crammer1814
grinder1814
cram1861
cram-coach1885
1766 O. Goldsmith Vicar of Wakefield I. vii. 57 Mr. Thornhill came with..his chaplain and feeder.
1787 Gentleman's Mag. 57 869/2 A Feeder, by which is meant a person who..crams into the head of a candidate for a degree certain ideas which [etc.].
1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) xi. 102 Mr. Feeder, B.A.]
6. figurative and in extended use.1816 J. Scott Paris Revisited i. 12 The downfall of great states has usually been produced by a disregard of the sources of alienation, and the feeders of discontent.1861 F. M. Müller Lect. Sci. Lang. ii. 49 Dialects have always been the feeders rather than the channels of a literary language.1868 J. H. Blunt Reformation Church of Eng. I. 71 As a feeder to this great college, Wolsey founded another.1893 Times 27 Apr. 9/5 The Post office actually increases the business of the banks by acting as a feeder.attributive.1892 Pall Mall Gaz. 26 Sept. 5/1 Looking down..from the edge of the great glacier-feeder basin.
a. A stream which flows into another body of water; a tributary; also attributive, as feeder-stream.
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the world > the earth > water > rivers and streams > tributary > [noun]
succour1596
creek1622
kill1669
sidestream1715
feeder1795
tribute-river1820
tributary1822
affluent1829
confluent1849
sub-river1849
influent1859
1795 J. Phillips Gen. Hist. Inland Navigation (rev. ed.) Addenda 94 To make navigable the cut or feeder from the town of Wendover, to join the canal at Bulbourne.
1795 J. Phillips Gen. Hist. Inland Navigation (rev. ed.) Addenda 97 No water to be taken from the feeders of the river Witham.
1800 E. Hervey Mourtray Family IV. 249 An immense torrent..becoming one of the feeders of the Lake.
1825 J. Wilson Noctes Ambrosianae xxii, in Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Oct. 501 Just as I was clearing the feeder-stream..up springs a red-deer.
1832 Act 2 & 3 William IV c. 65 §5 The point at which a burn or feeder joins a loch.
1878 T. H. Huxley Physiography (ed. 2) 37 The Kennet..is one of the main feeders of the Thames.
b. spec. ‘A water course which supplies a canal or reservoir by gravitation or natural flow’ (W.).
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the world > the earth > water > rivers and streams > types of river > [noun] > specific
headwater1535
Sabbatical river1613
salt river1659
tide-river1739
river pirate1743
salmon river1753
artery1787
warp-river1799
feeder1825
lost river1843
banker1848
tidal river1877
pirate1889
1825 Beverley Lighting Act ii. 11 Canal, aqueduct, feeder, pond.
1837 N. Whittock et al. Compl. Bk. Trades (1842) 201 The feeder is constructed so as to promote a current in its waters to the head of the reservoir.
1866 Cornhill Mag. Mar. 367 Another sweet-water canal, which is to be an essential feeder of the principal channel.
c. In wider sense: A centre or source of supply. In quots. figurative.
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the mind > possession > supply > [noun] > source of supply
breastOE
store1297
teata1382
sponge1603
resource1611
fund1628
quarry1630
stock1638
fond1685
feeder1817
stockpile1942
1817 S. T. Coleridge Blessed are ye that Sow Introd. p. xix Our religious opinions, out of which,..all our other opinions flow, as from their Spring-head and perpetual Feeder.
1872 O. W. Holmes Poet at Breakfast-table (1891) iii. 80 The sources from which a man fills his mind,—his feeders, as you call them.
d. A branch road, railway line, air service, etc., linking outlying districts with the main lines of communication. Frequently attributive (see Compounds 1).
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society > travel > means of travel > route or way > [noun] > network of routes > branch channel
feeder1855
society > travel > means of travel > route or way > way, path, or track > road > [noun] > minor road or side road
lateral1578
by-road1673
vicinal way or road1677
side road1691
cross-road1719
branch-road1831
feeder1855
secondary road1903
feeder road1959
society > travel > rail travel > railway system or organization > [noun] > a railway > forming part of a system > types of
branch line1825
sideline1831
stem1832
light rail1836
suburban1839
branch railway1840
main line1841
spurring1842
local line1843
trunk line1843
extension1852
feeder1855
main trunk1858
loop-line1859
loop1863
spur1878
main1886
spur line1924
society > travel > air or space travel > airfield or airport > [noun] > airport > types of
jetport1956
feeder1961
STOLport1968
1855 Chicago Times 25 Jan. 2/3 This road has many lateral roads as feeders to it.
1858 P. L. Simmonds Dict. Trade Products Feeder,..a branch railway, running into the main~trunk line.
1882 Daily Tel. 8 Nov. 5/7 It is proposed to construct lines of a less substantial character, to act as feeders to the main lines.
1902 Encycl. Brit. XXIX. 445/1 The construction..of branch [railway] lines..forming feeders.
1904 H. Belloc Old Road 105 It was a branch track..one of the many ‘feeders’ which confuse the record of the Old Road.
1961 Guardian 29 Apr. 12/1 The airport [at Birmingham] will act as a feeder for Manchester and London.
7. Mining.
a. A smaller lode falling into the main lode or vein.
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the world > the earth > minerals > mineral deposits > [noun] > vein > branching
feeder1728
shoot1850
chimney1860
ore shoot1867
1728 F. Nicholls in Philos. Trans. 1727–8 (Royal Soc.) 35 403 Small Branches opening into them in all Directions; which are by the Miners term'd, the Feeders of the Load.
1805 D. Mushet in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 95 165 Towards the feeder it seemed loose and crumbly.
1869 R. B. Smyth Gold Fields Victoria 610 Feeder, a spur falling into a reef increasing..its size and richness.
b. An underground spring or runner of water.
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the world > the earth > water > spring > [noun] > underground
feeder1702
water pipe1832
society > occupation and work > workplace > places where raw materials are extracted > mine > [noun] > other places in mine
work1474
firework1606
stemple1653
stool1653
bink1675
engine pit1687
swamp1691
feeder1702
wall1728
bag1742
sill1747
stope1747
rose cistern1778
striking-house1824
plat1828
stemplar1828
screen chamber1829
offtake1835
footwall1837
triple pit1839
stamp1849
paddock1852
working floor1858
pit house1866
ground-sluice1869
screen tower1871
planilla1877
undercurrent1877
mill1878
blanket-sluice1881
stringing-deal1881
wagon-breast1881
brushing-bed1883
poppet-leg1890
slippet1898
stable1906
overcut1940
1702 T. Savery Miner's Friend 35 When once you know how large your feeder or spring is.
1789 J. Brand Hist. & Antiq. Newcastle II. 679 They know when any feeder of water is pricked.
1892 Daily News 16 Mar. 5/7 Abnormally heavy feeders of water.
c. A stream of gas escaping through a fissure in the ground; a blower.
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1881 Trans. Amer. Inst. Mining Engineers 1880–1 9 132 Feeder,..a blower of gas.
1883 in W. S. Gresley Gloss. Terms Coal Mining 104.
d. = feeder line n. at Compounds 1.
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1902 Encycl. Brit. XXIX. 443/1 All the leading trunk lines, with their principal feeders.
8. One who or that which supplies material for consumption or elaboration.
a. One who ‘feeds’ material to a machine.
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society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > [noun] > one who operates machine > who performs specific task
feeder1676
winder1823
greaser1832
oiler1846
grease-man1898
oilman1902
pani-wallah1957
1676 J. Beal in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 11 584 By this..may two work~men, and one feeder, grind 20 bushels of Apples in an hour.
1835 A. Ure Philos. Manuf. 155 The person who attends this machine..is called the feeder.
1886 Pall Mall Gaz. 18 June 5/1 On a raised platform stands the feeder, with his spade, and it is his duty to shovel the quartz into the hopper.
1888 C. T. Jacobi Printers' Vocab. 43 Feeder, the lad who lays on the sheets in a printing machine.
b. The player who tosses the ball to the batter (in ‘Rounders’ and similar games). Hence, the name of a particular game resembling rounders.
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society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > [noun] > player > types of
striker1699
kicker1829
non-striker1842
feeder1844
stopper1847
defender1851
hand-in1875
hand-out1875
back1880
attacker1884
field general1895
ball carrier1902
ball-handler1912
ball-winner1972
shotmaker1974
society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > baseball > games similar to baseball > [noun]
baseball1748
pat-ball1775
town ball1813
stickball1824
rounders1828
roundball1834
feeder1844
one-old-cat1856
softball1867
one-eyed cat1908
vigoroc1930
slow-pitch1934
fast-pitch1939
stoop ball1941
fastball1943
lob ball1949
whiffle-ball1954
Wiffle ball1955
T-ball1962
1844 Boy's Treasury 17 The players next toss up for the office of feeder.
1844 Boy's Treasury 18 This game [Rounders] differs from feeder only in the following particulars.
1875 ‘Stonehenge’ Man. Brit. Rural Sports (ed. 12) iii. i. iv. §1. 686 The feeder is allowed to feign a toss of the ball.
c. An apparatus or a portion of an apparatus, often in the form of a hopper, into which the material to be treated is placed in order to be supplied to the machine in regulated quantities.
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society > occupation and work > equipment > machine > parts of machines > other parts > [noun] > feeders or suppliers
feeder1669
injector1744
hopper1763
supplier1823
header1867
sight feed1888
filter feed1901
feed-box1902
1669 J. Worlidge Systema Agriculturæ (1681) 51 Observe whether it will hold out..and accordingly proceed and rectifie the Feeder.
1823 J. Badcock Domest. Amusem. 79 The feeder, which coming from an air-tight vessel..full of oil, it drops slowly into the centre of the iron vessel.
1870 Public Opinion 16 July 81 The new feeder is a single-acting plunger pump.
a1877 E. H. Knight Pract. Dict. Mech. I. 829/1 Feeder,..a device with fingers which take the top sheet from a pile and lead it into the press where it is printed, [etc.]. Also a device by which blanks are taken successively from a pile and carried into an envelope-machine, [etc.].
1892 P. Benjamin Mod. Mech. 859 Automatic..feeder..to feed the grain easily.
1940 Chambers's Techn. Dict. 326/1 Feeder, a mechanical appliance for supplying broken rock or crushed ore..to some form of crusher or concentrator.
d. The lower chamber in an organ bellows which supplies the upper chamber or reservoir with wind.
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society > leisure > the arts > music > musical instrument > keyboard instrument > organ > [noun] > bellows > parts of
under-board1781
rib1811
bellows-spring1852
bellows-tail1852
feeder1852
side rib1852
table1852
1852 tr. J. J. Seidel Organ & its Constr. 36 The lower one, called the feeder..when pressed down, produces the wind.
1870 E. J. Hopkins Organ 14.
e. Nautical. A reserved compartment between decks for filling up the vacancy in the hold caused by the settling down of grain, etc.
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society > travel > travel by water > vessel, ship, or boat > parts of vessels > body of vessel > bottom or part under water > [noun] > hold > reserve compartment to fill up after settling
feeder1890
1890 Daily News 10 Dec. 5/8 The cargo was secured in the usual way..seven large feeders in the 'tween-decks.
9. Metal-casting. (a) (See quot. 1858.) Also attributive, as feeder-head. (b) ‘The opening made in a foundry mould for the introduction of the feed rod’ (Lockwood).
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society > occupation and work > materials > derived or manufactured material > metal > metal in specific state or form > [noun] > molten metal > head or supply of
head1838
feeder1858
dozzle1923
1858 P. L. Simmonds Dict. Trade Products 149/2 Feeder..a large head or supply of fluid iron to a runner or mould in heavy castings.
1892 Lockwood's Dict. Mech. Engin. (ed. 2) 136 Feeder head..a mass of metal which has been utilised for feeding a mould.
1928 W. Rawlinson Mod. Foundry Operations xviii. 255 For heavy castings, a feeder (or feeders) of suitable size and shape..is employed, this feeder being located to connect to the top of the casting or to the part of thickest section.
1928 Jrnl. Iron & Steel Inst. 117 404 A refractory-lined feeder head is invariably used.
1958 Jrnl. Iron & Steel Inst. 189 263/2 It is generally held that the feeder head is useful because products of flotation from the ingot body rise into that part, which is eventually scrapped.
1960 R. Lister Decorative Cast Ironwork ii. 24 Another reason for the presence of the sprue and pouring basin is to provide a reservoir to ensure that there is sufficient metal to fill out every part of the mould cavity. For the same reason a riser, feeder, feeding head, or shrink head may be used.
10. Electrical Engineering. (a) A heavy untapped main for carrying electrical energy to a distribution point or system. (b) A branch-wire to supply a house, etc.; (also) an electrical connection between an aerial and a transmitter or receiver of electromagnetic waves.
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the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > electricity > electrical power, electricity > distribution system > [noun] > cable
feeder1886
power cable1890
distributor1901
the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > electronics > electronic devices or components > [noun] > device receiving signal > antenna for radio waves > parts of or connected with
feeder1886
lead-in1913
loop1922
the world > matter > physics > electromagnetic radiation > electricity > electrical power, electricity > distribution system > [noun] > cable > supplying the public > branch-wire
feeder1886
feed-wire1903
1886 G. Kapp Electr. Transmission of Energy viii. 213 Another kind of junction..is the so-called ‘junction safety catch box’, designed for connecting so-called ‘feeders’ with certain points in the network of mains.
1892 Electr. Engineer 16 Sept. 287/2 The Northampton Electric Light and Power Company have equal weights of distributing mains and feeders.
1928 G. E. Sterling & R. S. Kruse Radio Man. xiv. 529 The single wire transmission line type of feeder requires that the feeder be connected to the antenna at a voltage loop.
1930 H. P. Seelye Electr. Distrib. Engin. vi. 82 In the general distribution in the built-up districts of a large town or city, it is usually advantageous to divide the territory served into distinct feeder areas.
1954 E. Molloy Radio & Television Engineers' Ref. Bk. xxi. 24 Co-axial and twin feeders in general communication use for television reception will reduce the signal by about half (6 db) if 200 ft. is used.
1962 B.S.I. News Sept. 21 Two-pin connectors for balanced television feeders.
1968 ‘E. McBain’ Fuzz xii. 188 Into this substation ran high~voltage supply cables (‘They're called feeders,’ Ahmad said) from a switching station.
11. Theatrical. (See quot. 1886.)
ΘΚΠ
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > drama > part or character > [noun] > types of part or character
underpart1679
persona muta1714
travesty1732
soubrette1753
old man1762
small part?1774
breeches-part1779
character part1811
fat1812
chambermaida1828
fool?1835
raisonneur1845
ingénue1848
villain of the piece1854
stock character1864
feeder1866
satirette1870
character role1871
travesty1887
thinking part1890
walk-on1902
cardboard cutout1906
bit1926
good guy1928
feed1929
bad guy1932
goody1934
walkthrough1935
narrator1941
cameo1950
black hat1959
society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > performance of jester or comedian > [noun] > jester or comedian > straight man
stooge1929
straight1933
feeder1957
1866 W. Davidge Footlight Flashes xvii. 220 Not a scene that wasn't a complete feeder from beginning to end.
1886 Stage Gossip 70 A part or character that is constantly giving cues for another character to ‘score off’ or ‘cannon off’ is known as a ‘feeder’.
1957 Oxf. Compan. Theatre (ed. 2) 106/1 The comedian..was assisted also..by..the straight man or ‘feeder’, who was dressed in perfect evening attire.
Compounds
C1. General attributive. (In sense 6d.)
feeder airport n.
ΚΠ
1962 Aeroplane 104 13/1 Colchester industrialist, Mr. Geoffrey Woods has purchased the disused R.A.F. airfield at Wormingford and is to hold it in trust for the town for future development as a ‘feeder’ airport.
1970 Daily Tel. 10 July 12 The Plymouth City Council is proposing to construct a ‘feeder’ airport in a beautiful situation only a mile from the edge of the town.
feeder line n.
ΚΠ
1895 Westm. Gaz. 6 June 6/2 The policy of building what are known as feeder lines is one that is much advocated by politicians who take an active interest in the future of India.
1903 Earl of Cromer in Daily Chron. 30 Jan. 5/5 I want feeder lines to Kassala.
1922 Flight 14 198/1 Once the airship service was started, branch or feeder lines operated with aeroplanes or seaplanes would be established almost at once.
1969 Jane's Freight Containers 1968–9 452/1 Lighter feeder-line transport in production and world-wide service.
feeder liner n.
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society > travel > air or space travel > a means of conveyance through the air > aeroplane > [noun] > aircraft for goods or passengers
liner1905
tramp1905
airliner1908
taxi1909
taxi plane1909
air ferry1916
air freighter1919
passenger plane1919
air taxi1920
freighter1920
flying boxcar1932
ferry1939
shuttle plane1944
day coach1945
feeder liner1946
charter1959
night coach1959
1946 Aeroplane Spotter 16 Nov. 266/1 Twenty de Havilland Doves have been ordered by the Argentine Government; these will be used as ‘feeder liners’, operating in conjunction with the Vickers Vikings operating the main routes.
1949 Flight 24 Nov. 683 The C.A.S.A. group in Spain has developed the Type 201 Alcotan, as a feederliner and crew trainer.
1971 J. Stroud World's Airliners xiii. 109 Switzerland has produced a successful feederliner.
feeder plane n.
ΚΠ
1934 Flight 15 Feb. 148/2 The company will operate without a Government subsidy and will employ..two feeder planes.
feeder railway n. branch lines linking up outlying districts with the main lines of communication.
ΚΠ
1895 Westm. Gaz. 6 June 6/2 The question of feeder railways, whether on a standard or meter gauge, had also attracted some attention.
feeder road n.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > means of travel > route or way > way, path, or track > road > [noun] > minor road or side road
lateral1578
by-road1673
vicinal way or road1677
side road1691
cross-road1719
branch-road1831
feeder1855
secondary road1903
feeder road1959
1959 Observer 8 Nov. 5/1 You start at a roundabout..on a strange feeder road..only two lanes in width.
1961 Architect & Building News 21 June 813 It is possible to drain traffic smoothly away into great feeder roads and motorways.
feeder service n.
ΚΠ
1933 Meccano Mag. Feb. 111/1 ‘Feeder’ air services are now being operated in conjunction with both the Indian and African Empire air mail services.
1934 Jrnl. Royal Aeronaut. Soc. 38 508 Small in total prospect, but first in present availability, comes airport feeder service. Vertical flight would enable air travellers to take off from the centre of the city for transfer to air liners at the outlying airports.
1958 Times 21 Apr. 14/5 Special road feeder services were provided on numerous occasions for long distance rail excursions.
1971 Nature 19 Feb. 518/2 The best arrangement yet for using super~sonic transports—a shuttle service between Newfoundland or Maine and Ireland, with subsonic feeder services from the terminals.
C2.
feeder ear n. a metal fitting attached to a tramway contact wire.
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society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > public service vehicle > [noun] > trolley car or bus > overhead wires and attachments
span wire1891
trolley-bar1891
pull-off1892
plough1894
trolley-pole1895
trolley-wire1895
trolley-ear1898
trolley-hanger1898
trolley-harp1904
feeder ear1924
1924 S. R. Roget Dict. Electr. Terms 87/2 Feeder ear, a special type of trolley wire ear to which a feeder is connected.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1895; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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