fodder

/ˈfɒdə(r)/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈfɑːdər/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈfä-dər/ (ame, mw)

fodder — noun

1. dried grass, hay, or similar plant material grown as bulk food for large farm li

1.名詞C1
釋義

dried grass, hay, or similar plant material grown as bulk food for large farm livestock such as cattle, horses, and sheep.

例句

Tomás stacked bales of fodder in the barn before the winter snows arrived.

collocation: bales / stacks of fodder

The farmer grew extra corn this year to use as fodder for the dairy cows.

fodder for + farm animal

同義詞
  • feed

    general word for any animal food, including pets and birds

  • forage

    grass or plants that animals graze on directly in fields

  • silage

    fermented green crops stored in a silo; a specific kind of fodder

  • hay

    specifically dried grass; one common type of fodder

文法句型

uncountable noun

用法筆記

Uncountable; never pluralised as 'fodders'. Subject of the verb 'feed' is usually a farmer or owner, and the prepositional pattern is 'fodder for + farm animal'.

常見錯誤

❌The cows ate three fodders.
✅The cows ate plenty of fodder.
💡fodder is uncountable; use 'plenty of', 'some', or a measure like 'a bale of'.
❌He fed fodder to the cat.
✅He fed pet food to the cat.
💡fodder is reserved for farm livestock (cattle, sheep, horses), not pets.

2. people, events, or information seen mainly as supply for a particular activity,

2.名詞C2
釋義

people, events, or information seen mainly as supply for a particular activity, such as gossip, jokes, news reports, or political attacks — often suggesting the supply is plentiful and used without much care.

例句

The minister's awkward comments became fodder for late-night comedians on every channel.

fodder for + group of consumers (comedians, journalists)

Quinn's messy divorce gave the tabloid newspapers fresh fodder for weeks.

同義詞
  • material

    neutral; doesn't imply cheap or low-value supply

  • ammunition

    implies use in an argument or attack; sharper, more combative

  • grist

    literary; especially in the fixed phrase 'grist for the mill'

文法句型

fodder for + purpose noun

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is uncountable and abstract, never about literal food. Almost always appears in the pattern 'X is/becomes fodder for Y', where Y is a consumer of stories, jokes, debate, or attacks. Tone is mildly negative — implies the supply is exploited cheaply.

常見錯誤

❌The book is good fodder for children.
✅The book is good reading for children.
💡this sense usually carries a slightly dismissive tone; don't use it for things you genuinely value.
❌She gave a fodder to the journalists.
✅She gave the journalists plenty of fodder.
💡uncountable; no article 'a/an'.