Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - eat

~ v past tense ate past participle eaten 1 »FOOD« a) to put food in your mouth and swallow it  (Vegetarians don't eat meat. | something to eat (=some food))  (Would you like something to eat? | eat like a bird (=eat very little) | eat like a horse (=eat a lot) | eat right AmE (=eat food that keeps you health) | I couldn't eat another thing spoken (=I am full)) b) to have a meal  (We usually eat at seven. | Do you want to eat at Musso's Restaurant before the movie? | eat out (=have a meal in a restaurant, not at home))  (Do you fancy eating out tonight?) 2 eat your heart out a) used to compare two things and say that one is much better  (He's the new teen idol - eat your heart out, Michael Jackson!) b) BrE to be unhappy about something or to want someone or something very much  (She's not coming back so it's no use lying here eating your heart out.) 3 eat sb alive/eat sb for breakfast to be very angry with someone, especially someone that you have power over  (You can't tell him that - he'll eat you alive!) 4 eat sb out of house and home humorous to eat a lot of someone's supply of food, so that they have to buy more 5 eat crow AmE also eat humble pie to be forced to admit that you were wrong and say that you are sorry 6 have sb eating out of your hand to have made someone very willing to believe you or do what you want  (The clients were suspicious at first, but he soon had them eating out of his hand.) 7 what's eating him/her/you? spoken used to ask why someone seems annoyed or upset  (What's eating Sally today? She just yelled at me.) 8 eat your words to admit that what you said was wrong  (I had to eat my words when he turned up on time after all.) 9 I could eat a horse spoken used to say you are very hungry 10 I'll eat my hat spoken old-fashioned used to say that you think something is not true or will not happen  (If the Democrats win the election, I'll eat my hat!) 11 »USE/DAMAGE« I always + adv/prep, to damage, destroy, or use a lot of something  (Work alone ate 72 hours of my week.)  (- see also eats) eat sth away phr v to gradually remove or reduce the amount of something  (The wooden parts had been eaten away by damp.) eat away at sth/sb phr v 1 to gradually remove or reduce the amount of something  (Rust had eaten away at the metal frame.) 2 to make someone feel very worried over a long period of time  (The thought of mother alone like that was eating away at her.) eat into sth phr v 1 to gradually reduce the amount of time, money etc that is available  (All these car expenses are eating into our savings.) 2 to damage or destroy something  (Acid eats into the metal, damaging its surface.) eat up phr v 1 T eat something up) especially spoken to eat all of something  (Come on, eat it up, there's a good girl.) 2 T eat something up) informal to use all of something until it is gone  (A big car just eats up money.) 3 be eaten up with jealousy/anger/curiosity etc to be very jealous, angry etc, so that you cannot think about anything else