1. To suffer a humiliating defeat: This is the most common meaning. It implies being completely overwhelmed and losing badly.
* Example: "After the championship game, the losing team felt like they had eaten dirt."
2. To be impoverished and struggling: This meaning focuses on hardship and lack of resources.
* Example: "We've been eating dirt since the factory closed down."
3. To be forced to eat something unappetizing: This meaning emphasizes the unpleasantness of the food.
* Example: "We were so hungry after the hike that we ate dirt for dinner."
4. To become covered in dirt: This meaning is literal and relates to physical contact with soil.
* Example: "The kids were eating dirt after playing in the mud."
The specific meaning of "eat dirt" can be determined by the context of the sentence and the speaker's intention.