diet
/ˈdaɪət/ · di·et
noun
- The food and beverage a person or animal consumes. The diet of the Giant Panda consists mainly of bamboo.
- A controlled regimen of food and drink, as to gain or lose weight or otherwise influence health. She followed a strict diet to lose weight before the wedding.
- By extension, any habitual intake or consumption. He's been reading a steady diet of nonfiction for the last several years.
adjective
- Of a food or beverage, containing less fat, salt, sugar, or calories than normal, or claimed to have such. She drank diet soda to reduce her calorie intake.
- Having certain traits subtracted. You folks reduce it to the bible only as being authoritative, impoverishing the faith. 'Christianity Lite', diet Christianity for those who can't handle the Whole Meal.
Did you know? The term 'diet' has been used in various contexts, including in ancient Greece, where it referred to a daily allowance of food for athletes.