drip feed
- noun
- /drɪp fiːd/
- Specialized
:
goteo
- The patient was kept on a drip feed after surgery to ensure proper hydration.
Examples
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The nurse prepared the drip feed for the child in the intensive care unit.
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She received nutrients via drip feed when she was unable to eat solid food.
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The nurse used a drip feed to administer medication.
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Can you explain what a drip feed is?
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Patients in the hospital often receive a drip feed for nourishment when they cannot eat.
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The doctor ordered a continuous drip feed of saline to help the dehydrated patient recover.
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During the operation, the drip feed was crucial for maintaining the patient's fluid levels.
Synonyms
249
3.8
A small tube used to give fluid or medicine directly into a vein
1
4.1
A thin tube that gives fluids or medicine slowly into a vein
Giving nutrients directly into a vein when someone cannot eat or take in food
How Fast
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to give information slowly in small amounts' is directly derivable from combining 'drip' (a tiny drop) with 'feed' (to give). The image of feeding in drips is a straightforward metaphorical composition found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will likely infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The noun drip feed comes from hospital care where a patient receives fluids through a thin tube that lets out one drop at a time. That slow, dripping image explains why drip feed means 'a slow supply of liquid' to a patient.