füttern

See also: futtern

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfʏtərn/, [ˈfʏtɐn]

• audio:

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Etymology 1

From Middle High German vüetern, from Old High German fuotiren, derived from fuotar, from Proto-Germanic *fōdrą (“fodder”). Equivalent to Futter +‎ -n. Compare Dutch voeren (“to feed”), dialectal English to fodder.

Alternative forms

• futtern (obsolete in this sense)

Verb

1. to feed (to give food to)

Usage notes

• The word is used chiefly with animals or otherwise when someone raises the food directly to another person’s mouth (e.g. that of a small child). For “to provide food” in general the usual word is ernähren.

Derived terms

• abfüttern
• beifüttern
• durchfüttern
• Fütterung
• überfüttern
• unterfüttern (“to feed insufficiently”)
• verfüttern
• zufüttern

 

Etymology 2

From Middle High German vüetern, derived from vueter, from Old High German fuotar, from Proto-Germanic *fōdrą (“sheath, wrapping, lining”). Equivalent to Futter +‎ -n. Compare Dutch voeren (“to line”). Probably remotely related to etymology 1, but not identical.

Verb

1. to line (to cover the inner surface of a garment or bag)

Derived terms

• ausfüttern
• unterfüttern (“to undergird”)