6. (Mach.) (a) The motion, or act, of carrying forward the stuff to be
operated upon, as cloth to the needle in a sewing machine; or of
producing progressive operation upon any material or object in a
machine, as, in a turning lathe, by moving the cutting tool along or in
the work. (b) The supply of material to a machine, as water to a steam
boiler, coal to a furnace, or grain to a run of stones. (c) The
mechanism by which the action of feeding is produced; a feed motion.
Feed bag, a nose bag containing feed for a horse or mule. -- Feed
cloth, an apron for leading cotton, wool, or other fiber, into a
machine, as for carding, etc. -- Feed door, a door to a furnace, by
which to supply coal. -- Feed head. (a) A cistern for feeding water by
gravity to a steam boiler. (b) (Founding) An excess of metal above a
mold, which serves to render the casting more compact by its pressure;
-- also called a riser, deadhead, or simply feed or head Knight. --
Feed heater. (a) (Steam Engine) A vessel in which the feed water for
the boiler is heated, usually by exhaust steam. (b) A boiler or kettle
in which is heated food for stock. -- Feed motion, or Feed gear
(Mach.), the train of mechanism that gives motion to the part that
directly produces the feed in a machine. -- Feed pipe, a pipe for
supplying the boiler of a steam engine, etc., with water. -- Feed pump,
a force pump for supplying water to a steam boiler, etc. -- Feed
regulator, a device for graduating the operation of a feeder. Knight.
-- Feed screw, in lathes, a long screw employed to impart a regular
motion to a tool rest or tool, or to the work. -- Feed water, water
supplied to a steam boiler, etc. -- Feed wheel (Mach.), a kind of
feeder. See Feeder, n., 8.
Feed"er (?), n. 1. One who, or that which, gives food or supplies
nourishment; steward.
A couple of friends, his chaplain and feeder.
Goldsmith.
2. One who furnishes incentives; an encourager. "The feeder of my
riots." Shak.
3. One who eats or feeds; specifically, an animal to be fed or
fattened.
With eager feeding, food doth choke the feeder.
Shak.