/i:t ||; it/verb (
past tense ate /et;
US eɪt
||; et/
past participle eaten /ˈi:tn
||; ˈitṇ/)
1 [I,T] to put food into your mouth, then bite and swallow it 吃 · Who ate all the biscuits? 谁把饼干都吃完了？Eat your dinner up, Joe (= finish it all). 乔，把晚饭吃干净。She doesn't eat properly. No wonder she's so thin. 她不好好吃饭，怪不得那么瘦。
2 [I] to have a meal 吃饭: What time shall we eat? 我们什么时候吃饭？
have sb eating out of your hand to have control and power over sb 完全控制，完全支配（某人）
have your cake and eat it→
CAKE¹
eat sth away/eat away at sth to damage or destroy sth slowly over a period of time 蚕食:
The sea had eaten away at the cliff. 海水已经把崖壁冲蚀了。 eat out to have a meal in a restaurant 吃馆子:
Would you like to eat out tonight? 今晚我们下馆子，好吗？