Lebensmittel

German

Lebensmittel

Leben (“life”) +‎ -s- +‎ Mittel (“means, resources”)

IPA^(key): /ˈleːbənsˌmɪtəl/, [ˈleːbənsˌmɪtəl], [ˈleːbn̩sˌmɪtl̩], [ˈleːbm̩sˌmɪtl̩]
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Hyphenation: Le‧bens‧mit‧tel

Lebensmittel n (strong, genitive Lebensmittels, plural Lebensmittel)

any item or substance intended for human consumption (excluding drugs other than alcohol), food, comestible
- 2010, Der Spiegel‎, number 22/2010, page 126:
  Pasta, Kuchen, Müsli, Brot – wer an Zöliakie leidet, muss viele gängige Lebensmittel meiden: Das Eiweiß Gluten, das bei den Betroffenen zu chronischer Darmentzündung führt, kommt in den meisten Getreidearten vor.
  Pasta, cakes, muesli, bread – someone who suffers from celiac disease has to avoid many common foods: the protein gluten, which leads to chronic intestinal inflammation for the sufferers, occurs in most types of grain.
(in the plural) groceries; roughly, though not usually including housewares

In strict use, Lebensmittel include the following:
- Trinkwasser: drinking water;
- Nahrungsmittel: foods and drinks consumed primarily for nourishment;
- Genussmittel: foods and drinks consumed primarily for enjoyment as well as, usually, tobacco and comparable non-mind-altering substances for smoking, chewing, etc.
In everyday parlance, the terms Lebensmittel and Nahrungsmittel are often used interchangeably, both referring to food and drink except tap water.

Declension of Lebensmittel [neuter, strong]