Crossword answer · 3 letters
Ate definition and meaning
ayt · past-tense verb
ATE
What does Ate mean?
Ate is the simple past of eat. Informally, it can also praise an impressive performance.
What does ATE mean in a crossword?
ATE answers the reviewed clue “Spent time in a dining hall.” The dining setting identifies an activity, and the past tense fixes its form.
Why is ATE useful to learn?
“She ate lunch” concerns food; a slang “she ate” can mean she did extremely well. The register determines whether the literal reading is intended.
Common clue patterns
- Consumed food
- Had a meal
- Performed impressively, in slang
These are editorially written pattern summaries, not a reproduced puzzle archive.
Other meanings to watch
EAT, ATE, and EATEN serve different grammatical roles. ATE and EIGHT can sound alike, but one is a verb and the other a number word.