meal

meal¹

M0178700 (mēl)n.1. The edible whole or coarsely ground grains of a cereal grass.2. A granular substance produced by grinding.

[Middle English mele, from Old English melu; see melə- in Indo-European roots.]

meal²

M0178700 (mēl)n.1. The food served and eaten in one sitting.2. A customary time or occasion of eating food.

[Middle English mele, from Old English mǣl; see mē- in Indo-European roots.]

meal

(miːl) n1. (Cookery) a. any of the regular occasions, such as breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc, when food is served and eatenb. (in combination): mealtime. prandial2. (Cookery) the food served and eaten3. make a meal of informal to perform (a task) with unnecessarily great effort[Old English mǣl measure, set time, meal; related to Old High German māl mealtime]

meal

(miːl) n1. (Agriculture) the edible part of a grain or pulse (excluding wheat) ground to a coarse powder, used chiefly as animal food2. (Cookery) Scot oatmeal3. (Cookery) chiefly US maize flour[Old English melu; compare Dutch meel, Old High German melo, Old Norse mjöl] ˈmeal-less adj

meal¹

(mil)

n. 1. the food served and eaten at one time or occasion. 2. one such regular time or occasion for eating. [before 900; Old English mǣl measure, meal, c. Old High German māl, Old Norse māl, Gothic mēl time]
adj.

meal²

(mil)

n. 1. a coarse, unsifted powder ground from the edible seeds of any grain: barley meal. 2. any ground or powdery substance, as of nuts or seeds. [before 900; Middle English mele, Old English melu, c. Old Frisian mele, Old Saxon, Old High German melo, Old Norse mjǫl; akin to Gothic malan, Latin molere to grind; compare mill¹]

-meal

a suffix, now unproductive, used to form adverbs denoting a progression or succession of amounts: inchmeal; piecemeal. [Middle English -mele, Old English -mǣlum, comb. form representing mǣl meal¹]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	meal - the food served and eaten at one timerepastcourse - part of a meal served at one time; "she prepared a three course meal"dish - a particular item of prepared food; "she prepared a special dish for dinner"mess - a meal eaten in a mess hall by service personnelaliment, alimentation, nourishment, nutriment, sustenance, victuals, nutrition - a source of materials to nourish the bodysquare meal - a substantial and nourishing meal; "he seldom got three square meals a day"potluck - whatever happens to be available especially when offered to an unexpected guest or when brought by guests and shared by all; "having arrived unannounced we had to take potluck"; "a potluck supper"refection - a light meal or repastbreakfast - the first meal of the day (usually in the morning)brunch - combination breakfast and lunch; usually served in late morningdejeuner, lunch, luncheon, tiffin - a midday mealafternoon tea, teatime, tea - a light midafternoon meal of tea and sandwiches or cakes; "an Englishman would interrupt a war to have his afternoon tea"dinner - the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday; "dinner will be at 8"; "on Sundays they had a large dinner when they returned from church"supper - a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtimebuffet - a meal set out on a buffet at which guests help themselvespicnic - any informal meal eaten outside or on an excursioncollation, snack, bite - a light informal mealnosh-up - a large satisfying mealploughman's lunch - a meal consisting of a sandwich of bread and cheese and a saladbanquet, feast, spread - a meal that is well prepared and greatly enjoyed; "a banquet for the graduating seniors"; "the Thanksgiving feast"; "they put out quite a spread"helping, serving, portion - an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal; "the helpings were all small"; "his portion was larger than hers"; "there's enough for two servings each"entremets, side dish, side order - a dish that is served with, but is subordinate to, a main coursesandwich - two (or more) slices of bread with a filling between them
	2.	meal - any of the occasions for eating food that occur by custom or habit at more or less fixed timesoccasion - the time of a particular event; "on the occasion of his 60th birthday"
	3.	meal - coarsely ground foodstuff; especially seeds of various cereal grasses or pulsefood product, foodstuff - a substance that can be used or prepared for use as foodkibble - coarsely ground grain in the form of pellets (as for pet food)cornmeal, Indian meal - coarsely ground cornfarina - fine meal made from cereal grain especially wheat; often used as a cooked cereal or in puddingsmatzah meal, matzo meal, matzoh meal - meal made from ground matzosrolled oats, oatmeal - meal made from rolled or ground oatspea flour - meal made from dried peaspinole - meal made of finely ground corn mixed with sugar and spices

meal

noun repast, board, spread (informal), snack, something to eat, banquet, dinner, feast, bite to eat (informal) It's rare that I have a meal with my children.make a meal of something overdo, exaggerate, overstate, overplay, do to death (informal), belabour He always makes a meal of the simplest little thing.Related words
adjective prandial

Types of meal

afternoon tea, banquet, barbecue or (Austral.) barbie, beanfeast, breakfast, brunch, buffet, cream tea, dinner, elevenses, feast, fish fry (U.S.), high tea or tea, lunch or luncheon, picnic, smorgasbord, snack, supper, tapas, tiffin

Translations

一餐膳食谷物粗粉

meal¹

(miːl) noun the food taken at one time. She eats three meals a day. 膳食，一餐 meals on wheels free meals delivered by car etc to the elderly and the sick. 上门送餐服务make a meal of (something) to take more than the necessary amount of time or trouble over (something) or make (it) seem more complicated than it really is. He really made a meal of that job – it took him four hours!小题大作

meal²

(miːl) noun the edible parts of grain ground to a coarse powder. a sack of meal; oatmeal.谷物粗粉ˈmealy adjective like, or containing, meal. 粉状的

meal

→ 一餐zhCN

The meal was delicious → 这顿饭菜很好吃
Enjoy your meal! → 请慢用！
Could you prepare a meal without eggs? → 烹饪时请不要加鸡蛋
Could you prepare a meal without nuts? → 烹饪时请不要加坚果
Could you prepare a meal without fish? → 烹饪时请不要加鱼
Could you prepare a meal without gluten? → 烹饪时请不要加麸质原料
Could you prepare a meal without seafood? → 烹饪时请不要加海鲜

meal

cat in the meal-tub

obsolete A surprise attack or ambush; a hidden or unseen danger. Primarily heard in US, South Africa. Many people want to legalize marijuana but are in denial of the cats in the meal-tub that may come with doing so. The young political candidate waited like a cat in a meal-tub for his rival's sordid history to come to public attention.See also: cat

a few fries short of a Happy Meal

A pejorative phrase meaning not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity. It can appear in many different forms and variations (for example: a few bricks shy of a load, a few cards shy of a full deck, etc.). Every time Paul tells me about his latest conspiracy theory, I can't help thinking that he's a few fries short of a Happy Meal.See also: few, fries, happy, meal, of, short

Meals on Wheels

A program that organizes food delivery to the elderly, ill, and other people who cannot leave their homes or cook for themselves. Before he went into a nursing home, my grandfather got food delivered to him by Meals on Wheels.See also: Meal, on, Wheel

meal ticket

A person or thing used to provide permanent financial income. This new business was supposed to be my meal ticket, but it's costing me more money than I'm making. I'm a model, so my face is my meal ticket, and I can't afford to have a blemish!See also: meal, ticket

square meal

A wholesome, filling, and nutritious meal. What I really need is a hot shower, a square meal, and a full night's sleep. There's a lot of debate at the moment about whether three square meals is better than a lot of smaller meals throughout the day.See also: meal, square

enjoy your meal

An expression said by a server upon serving food in a restaurant. Here's the pasta for you, and the salmon for you, sir. Enjoy your meal.See also: enjoy, meal

make a meal (out) of (something)

1. To prepare and eat some food and consider it a full meal, even though it may not resemble a traditional meal. I haven't had a chance to go to the grocery store, but we can probably make a meal out of whatever's left in the fridge. Back in college, we often made a meal of crackers and peanut butter—it was all we could afford!2. To do more work than is necessary when completing some task. I just need a rough summary of the numbers for the report—don't make a meal out of it.See also: make, meal, of

looking like a whole meal

slang Looking very physically attractive or appealing. The phrase is a humorous escalation of the slang term "looking like a snack." He's just standing over there, looking like a whole meal—you should go talk to him. Ooh girl, I hope you're ready to get hit on cause you're looking like a whole meal tonight!See also: like, look, meal, whole

meals rejected by Ethiopians

A false, humorous expansion of the initialism MRE, which actually stands for "meal ready to eat," a (typically military) food ration pack that requires no further preparation. The joke is that the food is so unpleasant that even someone who is starving would reject it. The association of Ethiopians with starvation could be considered offensive. After 12 long months eating meals rejected by Ethiopians, I'm ready to get back to home-cooked meals.See also: by, meal, reject

meals rejected by the enemy

A false, humorous expansion of the initialism MRE, which actually stands for "meal ready to eat" (a military ration pack that requires no further preparation). The joke is that the food is so unpleasant that it had been discarded by the enemy before being repackaged for one's own consumption. After 12 long months eating meals rejected by the enemy, I'm ready to get back to home-cooked meals in my own home.See also: by, enemy, meal, reject

out to (some meal)

Away from one's normal location to eat a particular meal. Do you want to go out to brunch tomorrow? Sorry, the boss is out to lunch right now. Can I leave a message?See also: out

square

1. adjective, slang Dull, conventional, or unfashionable; not inclined to do fun, risky, or unconventional things. God, when did I become so square? I used to love going out on a Friday night, but now I'd rather just stay home and read. It's inevitable that your kids are going to think you're square, so it's no use resisting it or trying to change their minds.2. noun, slang A dull, conventional, or unfashionable person; someone who is not inclined to do fun, risky, or unconventional things. All the kids in this school are squares, you know? Back in my old school, we used to do all sorts of wild things! I know you think I'm a square, but I've got actual responsibilities that I have to deal with.3. noun A filling and nutritious meal. It was a tough place to live, but at least we always got three squares a day.4. noun, slang A cigarette. Hey, man, could I bum a square off ya? A key part of being a waiter was always figuring out when to slip outside for a square or two.

Enjoy your meal,

an expression used by food servers after the food has been served. The waiter set the plates on the table, smiled, and said, "Enjoy your meal." Waiter: Here's your dinner. Jane: Oh, this lobster looks lovely! Tom: My steak looks just perfect. Waiter: Enjoy your meal.See also: enjoy, meal

make a meal of something

1. to eat something. The cat made a meal of the fish. They made a meal of the roast beef and enjoyed it very much. 2. to eat enough of something to consider it or have it as a full meal. I really don't want to make a meal of lettuce alone. Can we make a meal of this turkey, or should we save some for sandwiches?See also: make, meal, of

square (meal)

a good and nutritious meal. (Always with quantifier when square is used without meal.) I need three squares a day—at least. The old beggar looks like he could use a square meal.

meal ticket

A person or thing depended on as a source of income, as in Magic Johnson was a real meal ticket for his team, or Her interpersonal skills will be her meal ticket when she goes into sales. This metaphoric expression alludes to the earlier practice of handing out tickets that entitle their holder to a meal. [Early 1900s] See also: meal, ticket

square meal, a

A substantial or complete meal, as in These airlines never feed you; I haven't had a square meal on one yet. [Mid-1800s] See also: square

make a meal of something

make a meal out of something

mainly BRITISHIf someone makes a meal of something or makes a meal out of it, they spend too much time or energy on it. He's only been asked to write a brief essay but he's making such a meal of it. Only spend an hour or so on the task — don't make a meal out of it.See also: make, meal, of, something

a meal ticket

If you describe something or someone as a meal ticket, you mean that they are a way of getting all the money that you need throughout your life. A degree has never been a meal ticket, but the recession is making life for graduates tougher than ever. He was wealthy. I think she saw him as a life-long meal ticket.See also: meal, ticket

a square meal

A square meal is a large, healthy meal that makes you feel you have eaten enough. The troops were tired and hadn't had a square meal for five days. Do you survive on yogurt at lunchtime while your partner wants a square meal? Note: On sailing ships in the past, sailors ate off square wooden plates. See also: meal, square

make a meal of

treat a task or occurrence with more attention or care than necessary, especially for effect. British informal 1961 Colin Willock Death in Covert Dyson… was making a meal of everything. He had carefully paced the distance…He had stuck sticks in the ground. See also: make, meal, of

make a ˈmeal of/out of something

(informal) do something with more effort and care than it really needs; treat something as more serious than it really is: Just write her a short note — don’t make a meal of it. ♢ It’s only a small mistake. There’s no need to make such a meal out of it, is there? OPPOSITE: make nothing of something (1)See also: make, meal, of, out, something

a ˈmeal ticket

(informal) a person or thing that you see only as a source of money and food: He suspected that he was just a meal ticket for her. ♢ I hoped the guitar would become my meal ticket.See also: meal, ticket

a square ˈmeal

a large and satisfying meal: The children get three square meals a day.See also: meal, square

meals rejected by Ethiopians

n. military rations, MRE = meal ready to eat. (Cruelly designated at a time when Ethiopians where starving to death. Implying that not even starving humans would eat MREs. That said, it is also known that such rations have been rejected by hungry people who desire more familiar food.) The reporter was embarrassed to describe the MREs as “meals rejected by Ethiopians.” See also: by, meal, reject

square

1. mod. old-fashioned; law-abiding; stodgy. Man, you are really square. 2. n. a person who behaves properly. You are a square if I ever saw one. 3. and square joint n. a tobacco cigarette, compared to a marijuana cigarette. I’ll take a reefer. I’ve heard that square joints will give you cancer. 4. tv. to settle or to make something right. Will twenty bucks square the matter? 5. Go to square (meal).

square (meal)

n. a good and nutritious meal. (Always with quantifier when square is used without meal.) I need three squares a day—at least. The old soak looks like he could use a square meal. See also: meal, square

square

verbSee square meal

meal ticket

A source of financial support, particularly from one of the opposite sex. This transfer from a literal ticket that entitles one to a meal in a restaurant or other facility took place around 1900. At first it was used mainly for a sugar daddy, but in time it was broadened. Thus on May 22, 1949, the New York Times had it, “Man and Superman [the play] . . . is the title of [actor] Maurice Evans’ current meal ticket.”See also: meal, ticket

square meal, a

A substantial and nourishing repast. A mid-nineteenth-century Americanism, the term appears in humorist Stephen Leacock’s Literary Lapses (1910): “Any two meals at a boarding-house are together less than two square meals.”See also: square

meal

meal 1

meal 2

meal

meal

meal1

meal2

-meal

meal

Types of meal

meal1

meal2

meal

meal

cat in the meal-tub

a few fries short of a Happy Meal

Meals on Wheels

meal ticket

square meal

enjoy your meal

make a meal (out) of (something)

looking like a whole meal

meals rejected by Ethiopians

meals rejected by the enemy

out to (some meal)

square

Enjoy your meal,

make a meal of something

square (meal)

meal ticket

square meal, a

make a meal of something

make a meal out of something

a meal ticket

a square meal

make a meal of

make a ˈmeal of/out of something

a ˈmeal ticket

a square ˈmeal

meals rejected by Ethiopians

square

square (meal)

square

meal ticket

square meal, a

meal

meal

meal

meal

meal

Patient discussion about meal

MEAL

meal

Synonyms for meal

noun repast

Synonyms

phrase make a meal of something

Synonyms

Synonyms for meal

noun the food served and eaten at one time

Synonyms

Related Words

noun any of the occasions for eating food that occur by custom or habit at more or less fixed times

Related Words

noun coarsely ground foodstuff

Related Words

meal¹

meal²

meal¹

meal²

meal¹

meal²