feed on something

phrasal verbphr v

a) HBAEATif an animal feeds on a particular food, it usually eats that food 〔动物〕以…为食物

Owls feed on mice and other small animals.

猫头鹰以老鼠和其他小动物为食。

b) INCREASE IN ACTIVITY, FEELINGS ETCif a feeling or process feeds on something, it becomes stronger because of it 〔某种感觉或过程〕因…变得更强烈

Prejudice feeds on ignorance.

无知助长偏见。

Examples from the Corpus

feed on • Everything was feeding on everything else.• The hummingbird which feeds on it must therefore visit many plants, one after another.• When in the nineteenth century naturalists first examined it, they were mystified as to how any animal could feed on it.• A robin was still feeding on the few remaining black cherries; the chokecherries are long picked off.• Some species of birds have developed the ability to distinguish between model and mimic and will feed on the imposters.