Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[sabrinak]

Hello,

I'm not sure about what "eat through something" means. Please help me.


"It takes a lot of energy to do all the digging, so they have to eat a lot. They do not actually eat bulbs, roots, and other things like that. They eat through them as they dig their tunnels."


Here does "eat through them" mean "eathing bulbs, roots, and other things like that"?


Thank you for your answer.

[Philo Kevetch]

Hello Sabrina K -

'bulbs, roots, etc.' are not 'food' for them (moles?)

they (bulbs etc.) are merely 'obstacles' encountered in the process of digging tunnels

they (moles?) do not 'eat' them (bulbs etc.)
they just 'gnaw / chew / claw' their way through them
(make a hole or move them out of the way)
as they continue to dig the tunnel

If you were to put a strong 'acid' on something,
the acid would 'eat through' it...
the acid is not 'eating' (as in consuming food) but just 'making a hole'.

What are you reading? Philo

[sabrinak]

Now I'm crystal clear, thanks to your kind help.