diet

Diet means the usual food and drink consumed by a person or animal. A healthy diet for your pet is not the same as your diet, so you shouldn't feed your dog all your table scraps.

If you limit the number of calories you eat in order to lose weight, or restrict certain foods for your health, you can also call this a diet. If you want to lose 10 pounds by summer, you might have to go on a diet. In certain countries, the word diet, though pronounced the same, has a non-food related meaning: the diet is the legislative branch of the government in countries like Japan.

Definitions of diet
  1. noun
    the usual food and drink consumed by an organism (person or animal)
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    type of:
    fare
    the food and drink that are regularly served or consumed
  2. noun
    a prescribed selection of foods
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    types:
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    allergy diet
    a diet designed to avoid the foods that you are allergic to
    balanced diet
    a diet that contains adequate amounts of all the necessary nutrients required for healthy growth and activity
    bland diet, ulcer diet
    a diet of foods that are not irritating
    diabetic diet
    a diet designed to help control the symptoms of diabetes
    dietary supplement
    something added to complete a diet or to make up for a dietary deficiency
    carbo loading, carbohydrate loading
    a diet of foods high in starch that increases carbohydrate reserves in muscles
    gluten-free diet
    diet prescribed to treat celiac disease; eliminates such foods as wheat and rye and oats and beans and cabbage and turnips and cucumbers that are rich in gluten
    high-protein diet
    a diet high in plant and animal proteins; used to treat malnutrition or to increase muscle mass
    high-vitamin diet, vitamin-deficiency diet
    a diet designed to patients with vitamin deficiencies
    light diet
    diet prescribed for bedridden or convalescent people; does not include fried or highly seasoned foods
    liquid diet
    a diet of foods that can be served in liquid or strained form (plus custards or puddings); prescribed after certain kinds of surgery
    low-fat diet
    a diet containing limited amounts of fat and stressing foods high in carbohydrates; used in treatment of some gallbladder conditions
    low-salt diet, low-sodium diet, salt-free diet
    a diet that limits the intake of salt (sodium chloride); often used in treating hypertension or edema or certain other disorders
    obesity diet, reducing diet
    a diet designed to help you lose weight (especially fat)
    pap, soft diet, spoon food
    a diet that does not require chewing; advised for those with intestinal disorders
    vegetarianism
    a diet excluding all meat and fish
    clear liquid diet
    a diet of fluids with minimal residues (fat-free broth or strained fruit juices or gelatin); cannot be used for more than one day postoperative
    fad diet
    a reducing diet that enjoys temporary popularity
    low-calorie diet
    a diet that is low on calories
    macrobiotic diet
    a diet consisting chiefly of beans and whole grains
    vitamin pill
    a pill containing one or more vitamins; taken as a dietary supplement
    type of:
    fare
    the food and drink that are regularly served or consumed
  3. noun
    the act of restricting your food intake (or your intake of particular foods)
    synonyms: dieting
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    type of:
    fast, fasting
    abstaining from food
  4. verb
    follow a regimen or a diet, as for health reasons
    “He has high blood pressure and must stick to a low-salt diet”
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    type of:
    fast
    abstain from certain foods, as for religious or medical reasons
  5. verb
    eat sparingly, for health reasons or to lose weight
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    type of:
    fast
    abstain from eating
  6. noun
    a legislative assembly in certain countries (e.g., Japan)
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    type of:
    general assembly, law-makers, legislative assembly, legislative body, legislature
    persons who make or amend or repeal laws
Word Family