noun
pabulum
PAB-yuh-lum/ˈpæbjələm/
Food that provides nourishment.
The simple broth serves as pabulum for the recovering patient.
Etymology
Latin pabulum meant nourishment. The related infant-food name Pablum supplied the image of soft, bland food used figuratively for “mushy” prose or intellectually weak material.
More examples
- Rice and beans provide inexpensive pabulum for the family.
- The cattle graze on grass, their daily pabulum.
- She prepares soft pabulum from mashed vegetables.
Forms
pabulum
Similar words
- food
- The everyday word for anything eaten to sustain life.
- nourishment
- Emphasizes what sustains health and growth rather than specific foods.
- sustenance
- Often stresses the food needed to survive or keep going.