eater

eater — noun

1. a person or animal described by the way they eat — for example, how much they ea

1.nounA2
Definition

a person or animal described by the way they eat — for example, how much they eat, what kinds of food they prefer, or how they behave during meals.

Example

Hao is a picky eater who refuses to touch any green vegetables.

adjective + eater describing food preference

Salma is a light eater — a small bowl of soup fills her up.

light eater describing a small appetite

Common collocations
  • picky eater
  • big eater
  • light eater
  • slow eater
  • fast eater
  • fussy eater
  • messy eater
  • healthy eater
  • meat eater
Synonyms
  • diner

    focuses on the person eating a meal at a table or restaurant, not on eating habits in general

  • consumer

    much broader — refers to anyone who buys or uses goods or services, not limited to food

Grammar Patterns

adjective + eater

noun + eater

Usage Note

Almost always used with a preceding adjective (picky, big, light, fast, slow, fussy, messy, healthy) or noun modifier (meat, plant, grass) that specifies what kind of eater someone is. The noun rarely appears alone without a modifier.

Common Mistakes

My son is a very picky.
My son is a very picky eater.
In English, 'picky' is an adjective and needs a noun like 'eater' to complete the description.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Eater, diner, and consumer all refer to someone who takes in something, but they differ in scope and context. Eater specifically describes a person's eating habits, preferences, or mealtime behavior — often paired with an adjective (picky eater, big eater). Diner focuses on the setting: someone eating a meal at a table, especially in a restaurant. Consumer is the broadest term, covering anyone who purchases or uses any kind of goods or service — not limited to food at all. For example: 'Ravindra is a messy eater who drops crumbs everywhere.' vs. 'The diners at the front table complained about the noise.' vs. 'Modern consumers care about where their food comes from.'

diner ↗consumer ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • meat eater
  • plant eater
  • grass eater

Phrases

  • a big eater
  • a light eater
  • a picky eater
  • a fussy eater
  • a slow eater
  • a fast eater
  • a messy eater
  • a healthy eater

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Eater comes from Old English ǣtere, meaning 'one who eats.' It is formed from the verb etan (to eat) plus the agent suffix -ere (which later became modern English -er, meaning 'a person who does something'). The word has been in use since before the 12th century.