diet Definition

diet¹
noun

1. The food and drink habitually consumed by a person or animal.

Thesaurus: menu, food, victuals, fare, rations, sustenance, nourishment, provisions, foodstuffs, edibles.
2. A planned or prescribed selection of food and drink, especially one designed for weight loss, maintenance of good health or the control of a medical disorder.

Thesaurus: fast, regimen, weight-reduction plan.
3. Denoting a food or drink, often with a brand name, that contains less sugar than the standard version. Compare low-cal.

Example: diet lemonade

verb

intr
dieted, dieting
1. To restrict the quantity or type of food that one eats, especially in order to lose weight.

Thesaurus: fast, reduce, slim, weight-watch.

Derivative: dieter
noun

Etymology: 13c: from French diete, from Greek diaita way of life.

---

diet²
noun

1. The legislative assembly of certain countries, eg Japan.
2. historical
A conference held to discuss political or church affairs.

Etymology: 14c, originally meaning ‘a day's journey': from Latin dieta public assembly, from Greek diaita way of life.