【Food】 ,  【feed】 ,  【victuals】 ,  【viands】 ,  【provisions】 ,  【comestibles】 ,  【provender】 ,  【fodder】 ,  【forage】  are comparable when meaning things that are edible for human beings or animals.

【Food】 is the most general of these terms and is typically applicable to all substances which satisfy hunger and build up or repair waste in the body of men or animals. It is sometimes distinguished from drink or applied specifically to human needs and then distinguished from  【feed】 , which normally denotes 【food】 for domestic animals.

【Victuals】  and  【viands】  basically denote 【food】 for human beings, especially 【food】 that is prepared and ready for eating.

【Victuals】 is a racy or pungent word used for special effect.

【Viands】 is bookish or affected and occurs chiefly where daintiness, rarity, or an especially fine quality is to be suggested.

【Provisions】 applies to 【food】 in general as offered for sale in a market or kept in store as supplies.

【Comestibles】 , which stresses edibility, is now found chiefly in playful use for  【victuals】  or  【provisions】 .

The remaining three terms,  【provender】 ,  【fodder】 , and  【forage】 , basically denote 【feed】 for animals, but all may occasionally be used, typically derogatorily, of human 【food】 .

【Provender】 in its basic use applies to 【food】 (as hay, oats, or corn) for horses, mules, or asses.

【Fodder】  applies to 【food】 for domestic cattle and especially to coarse 【food】 (as hay, silage, and straw) that is harvested and fed out, as distinguished from  【forage】 ,  【food】 consumed by grazing or browsing.