feed
FEED
/fiːd/
A continuously updated stream of content, posts, and updates displayed on a user's screen.
A feed can be chronological or algorithmically curated based on personal preferences.
The story behind the word. The traditional Germanic root meant nourishing living beings. Computer engineers adopted 'feed' in the mid-20th century to mean supplying data continuously to a machine or screen.
Word relationships
- stream: Stream highlights continuous flow, while feed emphasizes content delivered to nourish interest.
Commonly confused with
- timeline: A timeline emphasizes strict chronological order; a feed often uses algorithmic priority.
Word family
- feeder (noun): A channel or source feeding data.
Collocations
- social feed
- news feed
- scroll the feed
Idioms & expressions
- doomscrolling
Example sentences
- "She scrolled through her news feed every morning to catch up on updates." Daily tech usage
Memory hook
FEED: Information to feed your brain. The endless digital conveyor belt.
When not to use
Do not confuse with animal feeding unless context clearly specifies biological food.
Fun facts
- The RSS feed (Really Simple Syndication) launched in 1999 laid the technical groundwork for modern social feeds.
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.