fodder Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun soldiers who are regarded as expendable in the face of artillery fire
    fresh fish; cannon fodder.
  2. noun coarse food (especially for livestock) composed of entire plants or the leaves and stalks of a cereal crop
  3. verb give fodder (to domesticated animals)

WordNet

Fod"der noun
Etymology
See 1st Fother.
Definitions
  1. A weight by which lead and some other metals were formerly sold, in England, varying from 19½ to 24 cwt.; a fother. Obs.
Fod"der noun
Etymology
AS. f?dder, f?ddor, fodder (also sheath case), fr. f?da food; akin to D. voeder, OHG. fuotar, G. futter, Icel. f??r, Sw. & Dan. foder. See Food Land cf. Forage, Fur.
Definitions
  1. That which is fed out to cattle horses, and sheep, as hay, cornstalks, vegetables, etc.
Fod"der transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Foddered present participle & verbal noun Foddering
Definitions
  1. To feed, as cattle, with dry food or cut grass, etc.;to furnish with hay, straw, oats, etc.

Webster 1913