Usage of the character 食

to beg while playing the xiao 簫／箫 (xiāo) (mouth organ)
cf Wu Zixu 伍子胥 ( Wǔ Zǐxū), destitute refugee from Chu 楚 ( Chǔ), busked in Wu town c. 520 BC, then became a powerful politician

shíyán'érféi

食言而肥

[食言而肥]

lit. to grow fat eating one's words (idiom)
fig. not to live up to one's promises

jiànkāngshípǐn

健康食品

[健康食品]

health food

juéshíkàngyì

绝食抗议

[絕食抗議]

hunger strike

shísèxìngyě

食色性也

[食色性也]

Appetite and lust are only natural (Mencius 6A:4).
By nature we desire food and sex.

xiǎoshízhōngxīn

小食中心

[小食中心]

Food court

bǎoshízhōngrì

饱食终日

[飽食終日]

to spend the whole day eating (i.e. not doing any work)

fēngyīzúshí

丰衣足食

[豐衣足食]

having ample food and clothing (idiom); well fed and clothed

cǎoshídòngwù

草食动物

[草食動物]

herbivore
herbivorous animal

zìshíkǔguǒ

自食苦果

[自食苦果]

see 自食惡果／自食恶果 (zìshí'èguǒ)

yīshíwúyú

衣食无虞

[衣食無虞]

not having to worry about food and clothes (idiom)
provided with the basic necessities

shíròuqǐnpí

食肉寝皮

[食肉寢皮]

to eat sb's flesh and sleep on their hide (idiom); to swear revenge on sb
implacable hatred
to have sb's guts for garters

ruòròuqiángshí

弱肉强食

[弱肉強食]

lit. the weak are prey to the strong (idiom)
fig. the law of the jungle

shēngtóngyǐnshí

生酮饮食

[生酮飲食]

ketogenic diet

xiāoyīgànshí

宵衣旰食

[宵衣旰食]

to dress before light and not eat before dark (idiom)
diligently attending to official matters

yīdānshíbó

衣单食薄

[衣單食薄]

thin coat, meager food (idiom); life of wretched poverty
destitute

shícǎodòngwù

食草动物

[食草動物]

herbivore

shíbùzhīwèi

食不知味

[食不知味]

lit. to eat without tasting the food
worried or downhearted (idiom)

jǐnyīyùshí

锦衣玉食

[錦衣玉食]

brocade garments, jade meals (idiom); a life of luxury
extravagance

zìshíqíguǒ

自食其果

[自食其果]

to eat one's own fruit (idiom); fig. suffering the consequences of one's own action
to reap what one has sown

hēixīnshípǐn

黑心食品

[黑心食品]

contaminated food product unscrupulously marketed as wholesome

yīshíwúyōu

衣食无忧

[衣食無憂]

not having to worry about clothes and food (idiom)
to be provided with the basic necessities

lüsèshípǐn

绿色食品

[綠色食品]

clean, unadulterated food product
organic food

shuàishòushírén

率兽食人

[率獸食人]

lit. to lead beasts to eat the people (idiom); fig. tyrannical government oppresses the people

shífǔdòngwù

食腐动物

[食腐動物]

scavenger

yīshízhùxíng

衣食住行

[衣食住行]

clothing, food, housing and transport (idiom); people's basic needs

yīshífùmǔ

衣食父母

[衣食父母]

the people one depends upon for one's livelihood
one's bread and butter

yàoshítóngyuán

药食同源

[藥食同源]

lit. food and medicine come from the same source (idiom)
fig. there is no clear-cut distinction between food and medicine

shíyùchuīguì

食玉炊桂

[食玉炊桂]

food is more precious than jade and firewood more expensive than cassia (idiom)
the cost of living is very high

fāfènwàngshí

发愤忘食

[發憤忘食]

so dedicated as to forget one's meals (idiom)

yǐnshíliáoyǎng

饮食疗养

[飲食療養]

diet

bàoyǐnbàoshí

暴饮暴食

[暴飲暴食]

to eat and drink unreasonably

mìshíxíngwéi

觅食行为

[覓食行為]

foraging

suōyījiéshí

缩衣节食

[縮衣節食]

to economize on clothes and food
to scrimp and save (idiom)

shíchóngzhíwù

食虫植物

[食蟲植物]

insectivorous plant

lājīshípǐn

垃圾食品

[垃圾食品]

junk food

jiéyīsuōshí

节衣缩食

[節衣縮食]

to save on food and clothing (idiom); to live frugally

qǐnshínán'ān

寝食难安

[寢食難安]

lit. cannot rest or eat in peace (idiom)
fig. extremely worried and troubled

miècǐzhāoshí

灭此朝食

[滅此朝食]

lit. not to have breakfast until the enemy is destroyed
anxious to do battle (idiom)

liángshizuòwù

粮食作物

[糧食作物]

grain crops
cereals

zìshí'èguǒ

自食恶果

[自食惡果]

lit. to eat one's own bitter fruit (idiom)
fig. to suffer the consequences of one's own actions
to stew in one's own juice

èhǔpūshí

饿虎扑食

[餓虎撲食]

like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey

tiáolǐshípǐn

调理食品

[調理食品]

precooked food

lóngkǒuduóshí

龙口夺食

[龍口奪食]

to harvest hurriedly before rain comes

jībùzéshí

饥不择食

[飢不擇食]

when hungry, you can't pick what you eat (idiom); beggars can't be choosers
When matters are urgent, don't spend time choosing alternatives.

sānxúnjiǔshí

三旬九食

[三旬九食]

lit. to have only nine meals in thirty days (idiom)
fig. (of a family) on the brink of starvation
in dire straits

yàntiánzhīshí

砚田之食

[硯田之食]

to make a living by writing (idiom)

quēyīshǎoshí

缺衣少食

[缺衣少食]

short of food and clothing
destitute

kuángyǐn-bàoshí

狂饮暴食

[狂飲暴食]

(idiom) to eat and drink to excess

jiǎnyǐnzéshí

拣饮择食

[揀飲擇食]

to choose one's food carefully
to be picky

shíròudòngwù

食肉动物

[食肉動物]

carnivore

yīnyēfèishí

因噎废食

[因噎廢食]

lit. not eating for fear of choking (idiom); fig. to cut off one's nose to spite one's face
to avoid sth essential because of a slight risk

shìjièliángshishǔ

世界粮食署

[世界糧食署]

World food program (United Nations aid agency)

zhuǎnjīyīnshípǐn

转基因食品

[轉基因食品]

genetically modified (GM) food

mínyǐshíwéitiān

民以食为天

[民以食為天]

Food is the God of the people. (idiom); People view food as the primary need.
Food first, ethical niceties second

guòpàngbàoshízhèng

过胖暴食症

[過胖暴食症]

binge eating disorder (BED)

shípǐnjiāgōngjī

食品加工机

[食品加工機]

food processor

hébùshíròumí

何不食肉糜

[何不食肉糜]

lit. "Why don't they eat meat?" (said by Emperor Hui of Jin 晉惠帝／晋惠帝 ( Jìn Huìdì) when told that his people didn't have enough rice to eat)
fig. (of people from higher class etc) to be oblivious to other people's plight

hǔdúbùshízǐ

虎毒不食子

[虎毒不食子]

a tiger, though cruel, will not devour its cubs (idiom)
even wild beasts look after their young

hèhóushímìniǎo

褐喉食蜜鸟

[褐喉食蜜鳥]

(bird species of China) brown-throated sunbird (Anthreptes malacensis)

chúnsùshízhǔyì

纯素食主义

[純素食主義]

veganism, a diet consisting solely of plant products
strict vegetarianism

yàobǔbùrúshíbǔ

药补不如食补

[藥補不如食補]

the benefits of medicine are not as great as those of good nutrition

zìyóusùshízhǔyì

自由素食主义

[自由素食主義]

Freeganism

bùshírénjiānyānhuǒ

不食人间烟火

[不食人間煙火]

lit. not eating the food of common mortals
fig. placing oneself above the common populace

jīngshénxìngyànshízhèng

精神性厌食症

[精神性厭食症]

anorexia nervosa

shípǐnyàopǐnjiāndūjú

食品药品监督局

[食品藥品監督局]

state food and drug administration (SDA)

Shíyóu Huàn Shípǐn Xiàngmù

石油换食品项目

[石油換食品項目]

Iraq Oil for Food Program

shíwùjíyàopǐnguǎnlǐjú

食物及药品管理局

[食物及藥品管理局]

US Food and Drug Administration authority (FDA)

shíbùyànjīng,kuàibùyànxì

食不厌精，脍不厌细

[食不厭精，膾不厭細]

lit. to eat but finely ground grain and finely chopped meat (idiom, from Analects)
fig. to be fastidious about one's food

shízhīwúwèi,qìzhīkěxī

食之无味，弃之可惜

[食之無味，棄之可惜]

lit. to be hardly worth eating, but it would still be a pity to discard it (idiom)
fig. some things have little to no value, yet one is still reluctant to part with them

shízhīwúwèi,qìzhībùgān

食之无味，弃之不甘

[食之無味，棄之不甘]