n. [ OE. fode, AS. fōda; akin to Icel. fæða, fæði, Sw. föda, Dan. & LG. föde, OHG. fatunga, Gr. patei^sthai to eat, and perh. to Skr. pā to protect, L. pascere to feed, pasture, pabulum food, E. pasture. √75. Cf. Feed, Fodder food, Foster to cherish. ] 1. What is fed upon; that which goes to support life by being received within, and assimilated by, the organism of an animal or a plant; nutriment; aliment; especially, what is eaten by animals for nourishment. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In a physiological sense, true aliment is to be distinguished as that portion of the food which is capable of being digested and absorbed into the blood, thus furnishing nourishment, in distinction from the indigestible matter which passes out through the alimentary canal as fæces. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Foods are divided into two main groups: nitrogenous, or proteid, foods, i.e., those which contain nitrogen, and nonnitrogenous, i.e., those which do not contain nitrogen. The latter group embraces the fats and carbohydrates, which collectively are sometimes termed heat producers or respiratory foods, since by oxidation in the body they especially subserve the production of heat. The proteids, on the other hand, are known as plastic foods or tissue formers, since no tissue can be formed without them. These latter terms, however, are misleading, since proteid foods may also give rise to heat both directly and indirectly, and the fats and carbohydrates are useful in other ways than in producing heat. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Anything that instructs the intellect, excites the feelings, or molds habits of character; that which nourishes. [ 1913 Webster ]

This may prove food to my displeasure. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

In this moment there is life and food
For future years. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Food is often used adjectively or in self-explaining compounds, as in food fish or food-fish, food supply. [ 1913 Webster ]

Food vacuole (Zool.), one of the spaces in the interior of a protozoan in which food is contained, during digestion. --
Food yolk. (Biol.) See under Yolk.

Syn. -- Aliment; sustenance; nutriment; feed; fare; victuals; provisions; meat. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To supply with food. [ Obs. ] Baret. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of food; supplying food; fruitful; fertile. “The foodful earth.” Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bent by its foodful burden [ the corn ]. Glover. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Without food; barren. Sandys. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Eatable; fruitful. [ R. ] Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. fouler to tread, crush. Cf. 1st Foil. ] A compound of gooseberries scalded and crushed, with cream; -- commonly called gooseberry fool. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. fol, n. & adj., F. fol, fou, foolish, mad; a fool, prob. fr. L. follis a bellows, wind bag, an inflated ball; perh. akin to E. bellows. Cf. Folly, Follicle. ] 1. One destitute of reason, or of the common powers of understanding; an idiot; a natural. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A person deficient in intellect; one who acts absurdly, or pursues a course contrary to the dictates of wisdom; one without judgment; a simpleton; a dolt. [ 1913 Webster ]

Extol not riches, then, the toil of fools. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Experience keeps a dear school, but fools will learn in no other. Franklin. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Script.) One who acts contrary to moral and religious wisdom; a wicked person. [ 1913 Webster ]

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Ps. xiv. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. One who counterfeits folly; a professional jester or buffoon; a retainer formerly kept to make sport, dressed fantastically in motley, with ridiculous accouterments. [ 1913 Webster ]

Can they think me . . . their fool or jester? Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

April fool,
Court fool, etc. See under April, Court, etc. --
Fool's cap, a cap or hood to which bells were usually attached, formerly worn by professional jesters. --
Fool's errand, an unreasonable, silly, profitless adventure or undertaking. --
Fool's gold, iron or copper pyrites, resembling gold in color. --
Fool's paradise, a name applied to a limbo (see under Limbo) popularly believed to be the region of vanity and nonsense. Hence, any foolish pleasure or condition of vain self-satistaction. --
Fool's parsley (Bot.), an annual umbelliferous plant (Aethusa Cynapium) resembling parsley, but nauseous and poisonous. --
To make a fool of, to render ridiculous; to outwit; to shame. [ Colloq. ] --
To play the fool, to act foolishly; to act the buffoon; to act a foolish part. “I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.” 1 Sam. xxvi. 21. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To infatuate; to make foolish. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

For, fooled with hope, men favor the deceit. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To use as a fool; to deceive in a shameful or mortifying manner; to impose upon; to cheat by inspiring foolish confidence; as, to fool one out of his money. [ 1913 Webster ]

You are fooled, discarded, and shook off
By him for whom these shames ye underwent. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To fool away, to get rid of foolishly; to spend in trifles, idleness, folly, or without advantage. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Fooled p. pr. & vb. n. Fooling. ] To play the fool. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To waste time in unproductive activity; to spend time in idle sport or mirth; to trifle; to toy.
Syn. -- fool around. [ PJC ]

Is this a time for fooling? Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl.; sing. Foolah. (Ethnol.) Same as Fulahs. [ 1913 Webster ]