comer
transitive verb
1 [+comida] to eat
¿quieres comer algo? would you like something to eat?
no tienen qué comer they have nothing to eat
sin comerlo ni beberlo
sin comerlo ni beberlo, me vi envuelto en un caso de contrabando de drogas without really knowing how, I found myself involved in a drug smuggling case; ha recibido una herencia sin comerlo ni beberlo he's come into an inheritance without having done anything to deserve it
2 (almorzar) to have for lunch; eat for lunch
los domingos suelo comer paella on Sundays I usually have paella for lunch
3 (hacer desaparecer)
el pelo te come la cara your hair's covering half your face; esto come las existencias this devours the stocks; poco a poco el polvo fue comiendo la casa dust gradually took over the house
comer terreno
la derecha les está comiendo terreno the right is gaining ground on them; el equipo se dejó comer el terreno the team conceded a lot of ground
intransitive verb
1 (ingerir alimento) to eat
¿qué hay para comer? what have we got to eat?; what is there to eat?; los leones tienen que cazar para comer lions have to hunt to eat
¡come y calla! shut up and eat your food! (familiar)
comer de algo (tomar comida) to eat sth; (vivir) to live off sth
come de los platos de los demás she eats other people's food; no todos podemos comer de lo que cultivamos not all of us can live off what we grow ourselves
comer fuera to eat out
comer con los ojos
siempre comes con o por los ojos your eyes are bigger than your stomach
comer como una vaca o fiera to eat like a horse
no comer ni dejar comer to be a dog in the manger
el mismo que come y viste the very same
2 (tomar la comida principal) especialmente (España) (a mediodía) to have lunch; (Latinoamérica) (por la noche) to have dinner
comemos a la una we have lunch at one
me gusta comer fuerte y cenar poco I like to have a big lunch and a light evening meal
pronominal verb
comerse1 [+comida] to eat
solo me he comido un bocadillo all I've had to eat is a sandwich; ¿quién se ha comido mi queso? who's eaten my cheese?; se lo comió todo he ate it all (up)
comerse las uñas to bite one's nails
comerse a algn a besos to smother sb in kisses
comerse a algn con los ojos o la vista to devour sb with one's eyes
¿cómo se come eso? what on earth is that?
está para comérsela she's really gorgeous o tasty (familiar)
comerse el mundo to conquer the world
comerse a algn por pies to take sb in completely
2 (destruir)
el sol se ha ido comiendo los colores de la alfombra the sun has bleached the carpet; the sun has caused the colours of the carpet to fade; el ácido se ha comido el metal the acid has eaten the metal away
se comen unos a otros they're at daggers drawn
tan necesario como el comer as necessary as eating; era muy parco en el comer he didn't eat much; he wasn't a big eater
el buen comer good food
Fernando es de buen comer Fernando enjoys his food