Emily Dickinson Lexicon

EAT, v.t. [pret. ate; pp. eat or eaten. Sax. hitan, eatan, ytan and etan; Goth. itan; Dan. æder; Sw. äta; D. eeten; pp. gegeeten; G. essen, pp. gegessen; Russ. ida, iado, the act of eating; L. edo, esse, esum; Gr. εδω; W. ysu; Ir. ithim, itheadh; Sans. ada. The Dutch and German, with the prefix ge, form the pass. part. gegeeten, gegessen, which indicates that the original was geeten, gessen. Class Gd or Gs, in which there are several roots from which this word may be deduced. Etch is from the same root.]

1. To bite or chew and swallow, as food. Men eat flesh and vegetables. They shall make thee to eat grass as oxen. – Dan. iv.
2. To corrode; to wear away; to separate parts of a thing gradually, as an animal by gnawing. We say, a cancer eats the flesh.
3. To consume; to waste. When goods increase, they are increased that eat them. – Ecc. v.
4. To enjoy. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall ear the good of the land. – Is. i.
5. To consume; to oppress. Who eat up my people as they eat bread. – Ps. xiv.
6. To feast. Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die. – Is. xxii. In Scripture, to cat the flesh of Christ, is to believe on him and be nourished by faith. To eat one's words, is to swallow back; to take back what has been uttered; to retract. – Hudibras.