"eat one's young" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_text": "The term is derived from the zoological phenomenon of animals killing and consuming their own young for sustenance.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "eats one's young",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "eating one's young",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ate one's young",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "eaten one's young",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "eat<,,ate,eaten> one's young"
      },
      "expansion": "eat one's young (third-person singular simple present eats one's young, present participle eating one's young, simple past ate one's young, past participle eaten one's young)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "With bankruptcy looming, the corporation eventually began eating its young; massive layoffs were announced, and all employee benefits and bonuses were suspended.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To betray a constituent or charge out of self-serving interests or desperation."
      ],
      "id": "en-eat_one's_young-en-verb-XjC80p~c"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-eat one's young.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/5a/En-au-eat_one%27s_young.ogg/En-au-eat_one%27s_young.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/En-au-eat_one%27s_young.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "eat one's young"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "The term is derived from the zoological phenomenon of animals killing and consuming their own young for sustenance.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "eats one's young",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "eating one's young",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ate one's young",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "eaten one's young",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "eat<,,ate,eaten> one's young"
      },
      "expansion": "eat one's young (third-person singular simple present eats one's young, present participle eating one's young, simple past ate one's young, past participle eaten one's young)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms with audio links",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English verbs"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "With bankruptcy looming, the corporation eventually began eating its young; massive layoffs were announced, and all employee benefits and bonuses were suspended.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To betray a constituent or charge out of self-serving interests or desperation."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-eat one's young.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/5a/En-au-eat_one%27s_young.ogg/En-au-eat_one%27s_young.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/En-au-eat_one%27s_young.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "eat one's young"
}