Feed

FEED, v. and sb. Var. dial. uses in Sc. Irel. and Eng.
[fīd.] I. v. Gram. forms. 1. Preterite: (1) Feeded, (2)
Fid, (3) Fode.
(1) e.Yks.1 MS. add. (T.H.) w.Yks. Wright Gram. Wndhll.
(1892) 140. w.Som.1 Fee·dud or feed·ud. (2) m.Yks.1 Fid·, Introd.
34. (3) Abd. (Jam.)
2. pp. (1) Feden, (2) Feeded, (3) Feeden, (4) Fid, (5) Fiden.
(1) m.Yks.1 Fed·u'n, Introd. 34. w.Yks. Fedn, Wright Gram.
Wndhll. (1892) 140. s.Chs.1 Fed·n, 75. (2) w.Yks. Wright
Gram. Wndhll. (1892) 140. w.Som.1 Ted-n naut u beet yùe·s vur
tu dhengk dhai dhae·ur faz·unts-l buy·d au·m, udhaew·t dhai bee
u-fee·dud rig·lur luyk [It is no use to think those pheasants will
stay at home unless they are regularly fed]. A keeper speaking
of a petted dog said: ‘He's a-feeded by all the chillern; they be
ter'ble a-tookt up way un.’ Dev. Cattle is feeded differently now,
Reports Provinc. (1885) 94. (3) e.Yks.1 (4) m.Yks.1 Fid·, Introd.
34. (5) m.Yks.1 Fid·u'n Introd. 34.
II. Dial. uses. 1. v. To suckle a child.
w.Som.1 Of babies only in this sense.
2. To fatten, make fat by special feeding.
Sc. (A.W.), Cum.1, n.Yks.1 e.Yks. I mean to feed him, Marshall
Rur. Econ. (1788). w.Yks. (J.W.) Midl. Marshall Rur. Econ.
(1796) 11. Not. (L.C.M.) n.Lin.1 He feäds five and twenty steers
every summer. sw.Lin.1 We shall begin to feed him next week.
Milk will feed anything quicker than water. s.Lin. We've putten
th' pig up to feed (T.H.R.). Nhp.2
Hence (1) Fed, sb., see Feeder; (2) Fed-mart, sb. an ox
especially fatted up to be killed at Martinmas; used fig.;
(3) Feeder, sb. an ox, &c., being fatted for the market; (4)
Feeding, (a) ppl. adj. fattening, nourishing; (b) sb., fig.
food, fare, diet.
(1) Sc. The cattle on a farm being fattened, straw was then carried
to the cows, turnips to the fat cattle,.. the feds as they were
briefly called, Haliburton Scotland's Sake (1887) 12. (2) Slg.
As for the fed-marts of this world, the Lord in his righteous judgement
has appointed them for slaughter, Bruce Sermons (1631) vi.
(3) Abd. The yalla feeder worriet on a neep, Alexander Johnny
Gibb (1871) xxxii; See't the feeders get plenty o' beddin', ALEXANDER Ain
Flk. (1882) 31. Midl. Marshall Rur. Econ. (1796) II. sw.Lin.1
(4, a) e.Yks.1 Whotmeeal's a varry feedin thing. ne.Lan.1 Nhp.1
Barley flour is rare feeding stuff. Shr.2 Feeding stuff for children.
(b) Per. The sap winna rise, but gin we hae that, they're fine feeding,
Sandy Scott (1897) 25. Lth. Bleak thy hame, an' puir thy
feedin', Ballantine Poems (1856) 71.
3. To turn out cattle to feed or graze on land; to use as
pasture land.
n.Lin.1 I doän't knaw which o' them two gress peäces I shall
feäd to year, and I o'must think it'll be th' hoäm cloäs. Land that
is fed in common by the parish. Wil. (E.H.G.)
Hence (1) Feedage, (2) Feeding, (3) Feeding-land, (4)
Feeding-piece, sb. grazing land, pasture.
(1) n.Yks. The hay, the turnips, the feedage of leys broken up,
and of young clover after harvest, Tuke Agric. (1800) 75. (2)
Lnk. The Gledshaw hills were uncommon rich feedin', Fraser
Whaups (1895) 192. e.An.1; e.An.2 Almost obs. in Nrf., but more
usual in Suf. ‘You turned your horse into my feeding.’ Suf.1
e.Suf. I've sent my horse to feeding to-day (F.H.). (3) sw.Lin.1,
Nhp.1 (4) Midl. Marshall Rur. Econ. (1796) II.
4. To supply a machine with material to be worked,
dressed, &c. Gen. with in.
Sc. (A.W.), Nhb.1 w.Yks. ‘To feed up,’ to pour dye liquor into
a machine or ‘bark,’ when the cotton is in process of dyeing
(J.G.).
Hence (1) Feeder, sb. (a) a person who supplies a
machine with material; see below; (b) that part of the
machinery where cereals are ‘fed’ into a mill; (2) feed
and speed men, phr. workmen of a superior class and
ability, who are thus able to ‘set the pace’ for others in
the same employment.
(1, a) Nhb.1 Feeder-in. The man who passes in corn to a thrashing
or to a winnowing machine is thus called. w.Yks. A person
(gen. a woman) who feeds a scribbler, i.e. puts wool, &c., into it
(S.C.H.); Workers who mind the carding machine in wool-combing
(S.A.B.). Oxf.1 The man who passes in the corn to
a threshing-machine, MS. add. (b) Nhb.1 (2) Nhb. This firm had
what was called ‘feed and speed’ men, a kind of under foremen
whose duty it was to watch and press on the workmen, Railway
Review (May 14, 1897).
5. To serve in a game, to supply with balls, &c.
n.Cy. (J.W.) Nhb.1 The lad who throws a ball, or ‘cat,’ towards
the batter, or striker, in a game is said to feed.
Hence (1) Feeder, sb. the person who supplies balls,
stones, &c., in var. games; (2) Feedow, sb. the store of
cherry-stones, from which children furnish their ‘castles
of peps.’
(1) Sc. (Jam.), Nhb.1 (2) Sc. (Jam.)
6. To grow fat or stout; to put on flesh.
n.Cy. He feeds surprisingly; he is much fed o' late, Grose (1790).
n.Yks.1, Der.1 Lin.1 These stirks, which have not been out long,
have begun to feed. n.Lin. My wo'd, you do feed; door'll soon
be oher narra' (M.P.); n.Lin.1 Duzn't he feäd just! He ewsed to
be th' sparest lad e' th' toon, an' noo he weighs nineteen stoän.
sw.Lin.1 He eats well, so I hope he will soon begin to feed. War.
B'ham Wkly. Post (June 10, 1893); War.1 War.2; War.3 These cows
are feeding fast. Hrf.1
Hence Feeder, sb. one who grows fat.
sw.Lin.1 The whole family of them are feeders.
7. To absorb colour. w.Yks. (J.G.)
8. sb. Food, diet, esp. fodder, grass food, or ‘keep’ for cattle.
Edb. Paritch, a substantial feed, Crawford Poems (1798) 4.
w.Yks. Feed, of course, cannot grow much so long as we have cold
north and east winds, with sharp frost occasionally at night. Fortunately,
stores of roots and hay are still plentiful, and there is no
fear of shortness of keep for live stock, Leeds Merc. Suppl. (Mar.
16, 1889) 8; w.Yks.1 We've plenty o' good feed. Not.1 Lin.
Dubbut looölk at the waäste: theer warn't not feeäd for a cow,
Tennyson N. Farmer, Old Style (1864) st. 10. sw.Lin.1 There's
plenty of good feed this turn. Lei.1, Nhp.1, War.3 Shr.1 I hanna
sid more feed o' the groun' fur many a 'ear than is this time. Brks.1
Green crops for sheep, as turnips, swedes, rape, &c., are called
ve-ad. Hnt. (T.P.F.) Suf.1 Feed is very short ta year.
9. phr. (1) on the feed, feeding; (2) out at feed, turned out
to graze or pasture.
(1) Not. The fish are on the feed (J.H.B.). (2) Brks.1 A horse
is said to be 'out at ve-ad,’ when turned into a meadow to graze.
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FEED, see Feid.