Quick Definition
τροφή, ῆς, ἡ n.f. food, nourishment
Strong's Definition
from 5142; nourishment (literally or figuratively); by implication, rations (wages)
KJV Usage: food, meat
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament
noun, f. | -ῆς | τρέφω
5.1 · Foods and Condiments · Food
food any kind of food or nourishment Almost all languages have at least a few general terms for food, though these may be derived from verbal expressions meaning essentially ‘that which is eaten.’ In some instances a distinction may be made between ‘that which is chewed’ and ‘that which is drunk,’ and it may therefore be important in certain contexts to speak of food in general by a phrase meaning ‘that which is either chewed or drunk.’ If one fails to include both types of food, the reader might interpret a passage such as MAT 6:11 as requesting only solid foods.
In the place of a general term or phrase such as ‘that which is eaten’ or ‘that which is consumed,’ some languages generalize the meaning of a particular term. For example, in certain parts of the Orient the term meaning specifically ‘rice’ also refers to ‘food’ in general. In fact, some persons will declare, ‘I have not eaten!’ if they have not had rice as part of a meal. A similar type of meaning has developed in English with respect to ‘bread.’ For example, in rendering LUK 4:4 (οὐκ ἐπ’ ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος ‘man shall not live by bread alone’) it would be wrong to employ a strictly literal rendering, since this might mean simply that people should not live on a diet consisting solely of bread. The meaning of LUK 4:4 is, of course, ‘to live means more than merely eating.’
MAT 3:4 · MAT 6:25 · MAT 10:10 · MAT 24:45 · LUK 12:23 · JHN 4:8 · ACT 2:46 · ACT 9:19 · ACT 14:17 · ACT 27:33 · ACT 27:34 · ACT 27:36 · ACT 27:38 · HEB 5:12 · HEB 5:14 · JAS 2:15
1 There are no doubt certain subtle differences of meaning in the various terms listed here as meaning ‘food,’ but it is impossible to determine such distinctions in meaning from NT contexts. Perhaps τροφή and διατροφή are somewhat more generic in meaning and may suggest a greater emphasis upon nourishment (see footnote b). At the same time, βρῶσις[c] and βρῶμα[a] may imply solid substantive food, but it is difficult, if not impossible, to argue for such subtle connotative distinctions in meanings which are essentially generic. 2 MAT 10:10 It is possible that τροφή and διατροφή focus primarily upon the meaning of food as nourishment, and in MAT 10:10 and 1TI 6:8 it would be perfectly appropriate to use a translation meaning ‘nourishment’ rather than merely ‘food.’
UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament © United Bible Societies, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Thayer's Greek Lexicon
τροφή, -ῆς, ἡ, (τρέφω, 2 pf. τέτροφα), food, nourishment: Mt. iii. 4; vi. 25; x. 10; χχῖν. 45; Lk. xii. 23; Jn. iv.8; Acts ii.46; ix. 19; xiv.17; xxvii. 33 sq. 36, 38; Jas. ii. 15; of the food of the mind, i.e. the substance of instruction, Heb. v. 12,14. (Tragg., Xen., Plat., sqq-; Sept. for D9, 3%, 11:2, ete.)
Mounce Concise Greek Dictionary
τροφή trophē 16x
nourishment, food, Mt. 3:4; Lk. 12:23; Jn. 4:8; Acts 9:19; Jas. 2:15; provision, Mt. 24:45; sustenance, maintenance, Mt. 10:10; met. nourishment of the mind, of spiritual nourishment, Heb. 5:12, 14
Abbott-Smith Greek Lexicon
τροφή, -ῆς, ἡ
(< τρέφω), [in LXX for לֶחֶם, מָזוֹן, אֹכֶל, etc. ;]
nourishment, food: Mt 3:4 6:25 10:10 24:45, Lk 12:23, Jo 4:8, Ac 2:46 9:19 14:17 27:33, 34, 36, 38, Ja 2:15. Metaph.: He 5:12, 14.†
Moulton & Milligan — Vocabulary of the Greek NT
τροφή, “*nourishment,” ‘‘ food” (Mt 3¢ e¢ saefe): cf. P Petr III. 46 (4)8 (Ptol.) τῆς els τὴν τροφὴν τῶν μόσχων ὀλύρας, “rye for the food of calves,” P Tebt I. 568 (c. B.c. 130-121) οὐκ ἔχομεν ἕως τῆς τροφῆς τῶν κτηνῶν ἡμῶν, ‘we have not so much as food for our cattle” (Edd.), P Ryl II. 229! (A.D. 38) περὶ τῆς τροφῆς τῶν χοιριδίω(ν), cf. 383, P Fay 115° (A.D. τοι) ἀγόρασον ἡμῖν δύωι συνγενῆ χυρίδια εἰς τροφὴν εἰς ὑ( -- οἷγκον, ‘buy us two pigs of a litter to keep at the house ” (Edd.), P Oxy IV. 70578 (a.D. 210-20) εἰς συνωνὴν χίόρτ]ου ἡ πρόσοδος κατατεθήσεται cis τροφὰς καὶ δίαπάvas... , ‘‘for the purchase of hay, the revenue of which shall be devoted to the maintenance and support. . .” (Edd.), P Tebt II. 6004 (iii/a.p.) ἀφ᾽ ὧν] ἀναλίσκομεν εἰς τροφὰς Kal θυσίας, P Oxy VI. 938? (iii/iv A.D.) cited s.z. évedpevw, and BGU IV. 1024¥- 16 (iv/y a.p.) τῆς θυγατρός pou [τ]ελευτησάσης, ἀπεστερήθην τῶν τροφῶν, ‘*when my daughter died, I was deprived of my means of support.” Ἡ tpodeta (not in LS§) in the same sense occurs frequently in the nursing-contracts BGU IV. 1058, 1106 αἱ. (B.c. 13), and for τὰ τροφεῖα in a similar connexion see 26. I. 29712 (A.D. 50) where a nurse acknowledges that she has received τὰ τροφεῖα kal τὰ ἔλαια καὶ τὸν ἱματισμὸν Kal τᾶλλα ὅσα καθήκει δίδοσθαι τροφῴ.
Liddell-Scott-Jones — Greek-English Lexicon
τροφή (trophē) — food. τροφ-ή, ἡ, (τρέφω) nourishment, food, [NT+5th c.BC+]; the means of maintaining an army, provisions, forage, τροφὴν παρέχειν [Refs 3rd c.BC+]
2. βίου τροφαί way of life, livelihood, living, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; τροφή alone, δουλίαν ἕξειν τροφήν [Refs 5th c.BC+]: then, simply, mode of life, δίκην τίνουσαι τῆς προτέρας τ. [Refs 5th c.BC+]
3. that which provides or procures sustenance, as the bow of Philoctetes, χερὶ πάλλων τὰν ἐμὰν μελέου τροφάν [Refs 5th c.BC+]
4. a meal, τροφαῖς τέτταρσιν ἐχρῶντο Philem.[Refs] cited in [Refs 2nd c.AD+]
II. nurture, rearing, παιδία.. τρέφειν.. τροφήν τινα τοιήνδε [Refs 5th c.BC+]; χάριν τροφᾶς ἀμείβων variant in [Refs 5th c.BC+] while in the nursery, opposed to ἐφηβήσας, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; ἐκτίνων τροφάς, much like{τροφεῖα}, [Refs 4th c.BC+]
II.2. education, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
II.3. rearing or keeping of animals, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
III. sometimes in Poets for the concrete θρέμμα, brood, νέα τ. a new generation, [Refs 5th c.BC+]; of animals, ἀρνῶν τροφαί, i.e. young lambs, [Refs 5th c.BC+]
IV. a place in which animals are reared, ἰβίων τροφαί [Refs 3rd c.BC+]