2. (Arch.)
(a) The upright piece of a step, from tread to tread.
Hence:
(b) Any small upright face, as of a seat, platform,
veranda, or the like.
3. (Mining) A shaft excavated from below upward.
4. (Founding) A feed head. See under {Feed}, n.
{Shrinking head} (Founding), a body of molten metal connected
with a mold for the purpose of supplying metal to
compensate for the shrinkage of the casting; -- called
also {sinking head}, and {riser}.
2. A grazing or pasture ground. --Shak.
3. An allowance of provender given to a horse, cow, etc.; a
meal; as, a feed of corn or oats.
4. A meal, or the act of eating. [R.]
For such pleasure till that hour At feed or fountain
never had I found. --Milton.
5. The water supplied to steam boilers.
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.