pick at something phrasal verb (
see also pick)
1. to eat only small amounts of food because you do not feel hungry or do not like the food:
Paige could only pick at her meal, forcing down a mouthful or two.2. to touch something many times with your fingers, pulling it slightly:
She was picking at her skirt. [TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲
eat to put food in your mouth and chew and swallow it:
Experts recommend eating plenty of fruit and vegetables.have to eat a particular food:
‘What do you usually have for breakfast?’ ‘I usually just have coffee and toast.’ We had the set meal.feed on something to eat a particular kind of food – used when talking about animals:
Foxes feed on a wide range of foods including mice, birds, insects, and fruit.consume written to eat or drink something – used especially in scientific or technical contexts:
Babies consume large amounts relative to their body weight.munch (on) something to eat something with big continuous movements of your mouth, especially when you are enjoying your food:
He was munching on an apple. They were sitting on a bench munching their sandwiches.nibble (on) something to eat something by biting off very small pieces:
If you want a healthy snack, why not just nibble on a carrot?pick at something to eat only a small amount of your food because you are not hungry or do not like the food:
Lisa was so upset that she could only pick at her food.stuff/gorge yourself to eat so much food that you cannot eat anything else:
He’s always stuffing himself with cakes. We gorged ourselves on my mother’s delicious apple tart.slurp to eat soup,
noodles etc with a noisy sucking sound:
In England it’s considered rude to slurp your soup, but in some countries it’s seen as a sign of enjoyment.gobble something up/down informal to eat something very quickly, especially because you like it very much or you are greedy:
You’ve gobbled up all the ice-cream! The children gobbled it down in no time.wolf something down informal to eat food quickly, especially because you are very hungry or in a hurry:
The boy wolfed down everything on his plate and asked for more.bolt something down British English to eat food very quickly, especially because you are in a hurry:
He bolted down his breakfast and was out of the door within 5 minutes. You shouldn’t bolt your food down like that.devour /dɪˈvaʊə $ -ˈvaʊr/
especially written to eat all of something quickly because you are very hungry:
In a very short time, the snake had devoured the whole animal.be on a diet to be eating less or different food than normal in order to become thinner:
No cake thanks – I’m on a diet.fast to not eat for a period of time, often for religious reasons:
Muslim people fast during the month of Ramadan. [TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲
pick at v. 1. To reach or grasp for repeatedly.
The baby kept picking at the coverlet. 2. To eat without appetite; choose a small piece every little while to eat.
He picked at his food. 3. To annoy or bother continually; find fault with.
They showed their displeasure by continually picking at her. Synonym: PICK ON.
[TahlilGaran] English Idioms Dictionary ▲