noun
General term for something to eat; slightly more colloquial than 食べ物.
See also: 食物 (しょくもつ)
冷蔵庫に食い物が何もない。
There's nothing to eat in the fridge.
彼は食い物に
He is particular about food.
noun
Figurative use: a person or thing exploited or taken advantage of, like prey.
詐欺師にとって、お年寄りは格好の食い物だ。
For scammers, the elderly are easy prey.
彼は悪徳商法の食い物にされた。
He fell victim to a fraudulent business practice.
Alternate kanji spelling, but can be confused with しょくもつ.
Compound of 食い (stem of 食う 'to eat') + 物 'thing'. The figurative sense developed from the idea of something being 'eaten' or exploited.