meal

1 of 3

noun (1)

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

Examples of meal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Get one quick recipe in your inbox Monday through Thursday to inspire delicious meals. Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 27 Sep. 2023 La Lanterna di Vittorio The singer stopped by this Greenwich Village cafe with pal Todrick Hall for a mouthwatering Italian meal. People Staff, Peoplemag, 22 Sep. 2023 Fun gingerbread cookie toppers help create a snowy winter scene. 09 White Chocolate Panna Cotta with Dark Chocolate Sauce These creamy individual desserts need to be made ahead, giving you time to focus on the holiday meal. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2023 It’s been over three years since many restaurants closed their doors and customers opted to eat more meals at home because of the Covid pandemic. Danielle Wiener-Bronner, CNN, 21 Sep. 2023 Families would gather in this often small room and spend the day preparing meals, sewing, or doing other household chores. Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Sep. 2023 Linda immediately asks for a meal of chicken with peppers, which reminds her of the dish her father used to make. Mckinley Franklin, Variety, 21 Sep. 2023 Additionally, the district will offer Friday meal programs and educational enrichment opportunities at select schools. Jackie Valley, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Sep. 2023 Chef Vincent Maillard trained under Alain Ducasse, so the meals are delicious and satisfying while being customizable to guests’ metabolic needs. Siobhan Reid, Robb Report, 19 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of meal was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near meal

Cite this Entry

“Meal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meal. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

meal

1 of 2 noun
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
: the portion of food taken at one time to satisfy appetite

More from Merriam-Webster on meal

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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