Meaning & Definition of word "Ate"
to
Ate
/eɪt/
verb:
- 1. Past tense of eat; to have consumed food.
- Example: I ate a delicious sandwich for lunch.
- 2. To consume food in the past.
- Example: She ate quickly so she wouldn't be late for the meeting.
- 3. To have ingested food.
- Example: They ate all the cookies before dinner.
- 4. To have taken in nourishment through the mouth.
- Example: He ate his breakfast before heading to work.
- 5. To have experienced or undergone the act of eating.
- Example: We ate out at a fancy restaurant last night.
Etymology
Middle English, from Old English 'ātan'; related to Dutch 'eten' and German 'essen'.
Common Phrases and Expressions
ate my heart out:
To be very envious or jealous.
ate up:
To consume completely, often used figuratively.
you ate that:
A phrase used to indicate that someone has done something very well or impressively.
Related Words
eat:
To take in food through the mouth.
eater:
A person who eats.
eatable:
Fit to be eaten.
Slang Meanings of ate
Meaning: Ate (as in performed excellently)
Example Sentence: She really ate that performance.
Meaning: Ate it (failed spectacularly)
Example Sentence: He totally ate it on that exam.