Word · Frequency #14620
fodder
炮灰
soldiers who are considered expendable in battle, especially under artillery fire
常用于 cannon fodder 这一短语，指在战争中被视为可牺牲的士兵。
- 1.
Food for animals; that which is fed to cattle, horses, and sheep, such as hay, cornstalks, vegetables, etc.
动物饲料；喂给牛、马、羊等的食物。
- 2.
soldiers who are regarded as expendable in the face of artillery fire
被视为在炮火面前可消耗的士兵
- 3.
Stuff; material; something that serves as inspiration or encouragement, especially for satire or humour.
素材；材料；尤指用于讽刺或幽默的灵感或鼓励。
- 4.
coarse food (especially for livestock) composed of entire plants or the leaves and stalks of a cereal crop
粗饲料(尤其是用于牲畜),由整株植物或谷物作物的叶和茎组成
- 5.
The text to be operated on (anagrammed, etc.) within a clue.
- 6.
People considered to have negligible value and easily available or expendable.
动物饲料；喂给牛、马、羊等的食物。；被视为在炮火面前可消耗的士兵；素材；材料；尤指用于讽刺或幽默的灵感或鼓励。；粗饲料(尤其是用于牲畜),由整株植物或谷物作物的叶和茎组成；饲料
In use
The commander treated the inexperienced recruits as fodder for the enemy's artillery.
The soldiers knew they were no more than fodder in the general's reckless plan.
The army kept sending men into battle, using them as fodder to exhaust the enemy.
be fodder for sth
fodder 在本义中为不可数名词，比喻“被视为可牺牲的人”。
The new recruits were simply fodder for the enemy's machine guns.
新兵们不过是敌人机枪下的炮灰。
use sb as fodder
“把某人当作炮灰”可用 use sb as fodder，语气较负面。
The commander used the militia as fodder to slow the enemy advance.
指挥官把民兵当作炮灰，以延缓敌人的推进。
Common mistakes
Connections
Collocations
- cannon fodder
- 炮灰
- The general treated the young soldiers as cannon fodder.将军把这些年轻士兵当作炮灰。
- cattle fodder
- 牛饲料
- They store cattle fodder in the barn for winter.他们把牛饲料储存在谷仓里过冬。
- fodder crops
- 饲料作物
- Alfalfa and corn are common fodder crops.苜蓿和玉米是常见的饲料作物。
- green fodder
- 青饲料
- The cows were fed fresh green fodder.奶牛吃的是新鲜青饲料。
- tabloid fodder
- 小报素材
- The scandal was tabloid fodder for weeks.这起丑闻一连几周都是小报的素材。
- fodder for debate
Learner notes
Memory Tip
联想：fodder 本义喂牲口的饲料；战场上士兵成了炮弹的饲料，即炮灰。
Context & Register
语域：informal 常见场景：military discussions、political commentary、anti-war rhetoric 此义通常以 cannon fodder 的形式出现，多用于带批判或贬义色彩的评论、新闻报道或口语中；正式写作中较少单独使用 fodder 表示“炮灰”。
Grammar Note
fodder 的动词变形为 foddered / foddering，第三人称单数为 fodders。
Pronunciation & Spelling
odder, plodder, modder, and solder rhyme with fodder in American English: they all end in /ɑdɚ/. Note that solder has a silent 'l' in American pronunciation. Be careful with father /ˈfɑðɚ/: it looks similar but the middle consonant is /ð/, not /d/, so it does not rhyme with fodder.
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 1，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Learn the forms together
页面下方列出了常见词形变化。学习时注意它们在句子中的语法位置。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.