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taking inventorytakingremoving it fromdroppingputting it oninserting it intoeating

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Eating something (past tense eaten): applying to one thing

Eating is the only one of the built-in actions which can, in effect, destroy something: the carry out rule removes what's being eaten from play, and nothing in the Standard Rules can then get at it again.

Note that, uncontroversially, one can only eat things with the 'edible' either/or property. Until 2011, the action also required that the foodstuff had to be carried by the eater, which meant that a player standing next to a bush with berries who typed EAT BERRIES would force a '(first taking the berries)' action. This is no longer true. Taking is now only forced if the foodstuff is portable.

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Typed commands leading to this action

"eat [something preferably held]" - eating

Rules controlling this action

check    an actor eating  can't eat unless edible rule   name  unlist
check    an actor eating  can't eat clothing without removing it first rule   name  unlist
check    an actor eating  can't eat other people's food rule   name  unlist
check    an actor eating  can't eat portable food without carrying it rule   name  unlist

carry out    an actor eating  standard eating rule   name  unlist

report    an actor eating  standard report eating rule   name  unlist