refeeding

noun

re·​feed·​ing (ˌ)rē-ˈfē-diŋ How to pronounce refeeding (audio)
plural refeedings
medical : the reintroduction of nutrition (as through a feeding tube or by oral feeding) into a severely malnourished individual (such as one affected with anorexia nervosa or chronic alcoholism) to restore weight
If too rapid a refeeding program follows such periods of starvation, providing protein and carbohydrate without cofactors such as thiamin and magnesium, serious metabolic and neurologic disturbances can follow.Sue Rodwell Williams
see also refeeding syndrome
refeed verb, transitive + intransitive
refed (ˌ)rē-ˈfed How to pronounce refeeding (audio) ; refeeding
refeed anorexic adolescents

Examples of refeeding in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
There, doctors began what was once called refeeding but is now more commonly called nutritional rehabilitation, using an intravenous line that fed into her neck. Katie Engelhart, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2024 Because of the complex interplay between the physical and mental symptoms of starvation, the first steps to recovery for people with malnutrition are to eat more and to gain weight, a process called refeeding or renourishment, before working on the behavioral and cognitive aspects of the disease. Kate Siber, New York Times, 18 Oct. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1932, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of refeeding was in 1932

Dictionary Entries Near refeeding

Cite this Entry

“Refeeding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refeeding. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

refeeding

noun
re·​feed·​ing (ˌ)rē-ˈfē-diŋ How to pronounce refeeding (audio)
: the reintroduction of nutrition (as through a feeding tube or by oral feeding) into a severely malnourished individual (as one affected with anorexia nervosa or chronic alcoholism) to restore weight see refeeding syndrome
refeed verb
refed (ˌ)rē-ˈfed How to pronounce refeeding (audio) ; refeeding
refeed anorexic adolescents

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