meal

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈmēl 

1

: an act or the time of eating a portion of food to satisfy appetite

2

: the portion of food eaten at a meal

meal

2 of 3

noun (2)

1

: the usually coarsely ground and unbolted seeds of a cereal grass or pulse

especially : cornmeal

2

: a product resembling seed meal especially in particle size or texture

-meal

3 of 3

adverb combining form

: by a (specified) portion or measure at a time

piecemeal

Synonyms of meal

Noun (1)

• menu
• dinner
• lunch
• feed
• repast
• supper

Examples of meal in a Sentence

Noun (1)

all she wants to do is sit quietly after the large Thanksgiving meal

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In 2026, qualified workers will be able to tap into this pool to pay for in-home care, home modifications, and even meals and transportation, up to a lifetime limit of $36,000. —Kat McGowan, NPR, 30 Dec. 2025

Viar recommends avocado, nuts, and seeds; eating protein such as eggs, chicken, tofu, or fish at every meal; including slow-absorption carbohydrates such as potato, sweet potato, rice, and oatmeal; and drinking calming infusions such as chamomile or lemon balm. —Mónica Heras, Vogue, 30 Dec. 2025

And don’t leave without having a meal at the award-winning Bell’s, helmed by chef Daisy Ryan, or Bar Le Côte, also part of the local Companion Hospitality restaurant group she co-owns with her husband Greg. —Chelsee Lowe, Travel + Leisure, 30 Dec. 2025

Cintia Diaz, a private chef living in New York City, offers meal prep and private dinner services. —Sarah Jackson valentina Duarte, CNBC, 30 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English meel appointed time, meal, from Old English mǣl; akin to Old High German māl time, Latin metiri to measure — more at measure

Noun (2)

Middle English mele, from Old English melu; akin to Old High German melo meal, Latin molere to grind, Greek mylē mill

Adverb combining form

Middle English -mele, from Old English -mǣlum, from mǣlum, dative plural of mǣl

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing meal

• a meal in itself
• fish meal
• Indian meal
• make a meal (out) of
• matzo meal
• meal ticket
• midday meal
• pre-meal
• square meal

Rhymes for meal

• beal
• chiel
• ciel
• creel
• deal
• diel
• abele
• alkyl
• anneal
• appeal
• cartwheel
• conceal

Kids Definition

meal

1 of 2 noun

ˈmēl 

1

: the food eaten or prepared for eating at one time

2

: the act or time of eating a meal

meal

2 of 2 noun

1

: ground seeds of a cereal grass

especially : cornmeal

2

: something like meal especially in texture

Etymology

Noun

Old English mæl "appointed time, meal"

Noun

Old English melu "ground grain"

Medical Definition

meal

noun

ˈmē(ə)l 

: the portion of food taken at one time to satisfy appetite