food-stuff

A family shops for fresh food-stuff at the local market.

Definition

Noun:
- Any substance that can be used as food: "food-stuff" refers to any material, raw or processed, that is suitable for consumption by humans or animals to provide nutrition and energy.

Usage Examples

Advanced Usage

"to stock up on food-stuffs": to accumulate a supply of edible materials.
- Before the storm, the family stocked up on non-perishable food-stuffs such as pasta and canned soup. (They gathered food items that last without refrigeration.)
"processed food-stuff": food material that has been altered from its natural state for convenience or preservation.
- Many processed food-stuffs contain added preservatives and artificial flavors. (Manufactured edible substances.)

Variants and Related Words

Foodstuff (n): a single, non-hyphenated spelling variant, meaning the same as "food-stuff."
- The market sells a wide range of foodstuffs from around the world. (Edible goods.)
Food (n): a more general term for any substance consumed for nutrition.
- Fresh food is healthier than packaged food. (Edible substances broadly.)
Stuff (n): a general term for material or things, not limited to food.
- Please put your stuff away. (Personal belongings.)

Synonyms

Provisions: supplies of food and other necessary items.
- The hikers carried enough provisions for a week. (Food supplies.)
Comestibles: items of food; edible goods.
- The pantry was full of comestibles like rice, beans, and spices. (Edible items.)
Victuals: food or provisions, especially for a journey.
- The sailors loaded victuals onto the ship. (Food supplies for travel.)

Phrasal Verbs

Related Idioms

Bread and butter: a basic, essential food-stuff or a primary source of income.
- Rice is the bread and butter of many Asian diets. (A fundamental food item.)
Meat and potatoes: the most important or basic part of something, often referring to essential food-stuffs.
- In this region, meat and potatoes are the staple food-stuffs. (Core nutritional items.)