fodder

noun

fod·​der ˈfä-dər How to pronounce fodder (audio)
1
: something fed to domestic animals
especially : coarse food for cattle, horses, or sheep
2
: inferior or readily available material used to supply a heavy demand
fodder for tabloids
This sort of breezy plot line has become cheap fodder for novelists and screenwriters …Sally Bedell
fodder transitive verb

Examples of fodder in a Sentence

His antics always make good fodder for the gossip columnists. She often used her friends' problems as fodder for her novels.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Families are complicated, which gives TV writers plenty of fodder to draw from. Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2025 For now, however, the Met show is more than suitable, providing casual fans and scholars alike with fodder for future study. Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 5 Feb. 2025 Of course, all of this will be used as fodder for anti-DEI discourse, since it’s been set up to fail anyway, and assassinate the character and credibility of critical voices who have been pitted against each other in many ways in the startup and VC world. Allyson Kapin, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025 Jackson, often talk-show fodder for his playoff struggles, played at an MVP level. Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 12 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for fodder 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English fōdor; akin to Old High German fuotar food — more at food

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fodder was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near fodder

Cite this Entry

“Fodder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fodder. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

fodder

noun
fod·​der ˈfäd-ər How to pronounce fodder (audio)
: coarse dry food (as cornstalks) for livestock
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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