MEAL

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does meal mean? 

• MEAL (noun)
  The noun MEAL has 3 senses:

1. the food served and eaten at one time

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

3. coarsely ground foodstuff; especially seeds of various cereal grasses or pulse

  Familiarity information: MEAL used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MEAL (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The food served and eaten at one time

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

meal; repast

Hypernyms ("meal" is a kind of...):

aliment; alimentation; nourishment; nutriment; nutrition; sustenance; victuals (a source of materials to nourish the body)

Meronyms (parts of "meal"):

dish (a particular item of prepared food)

course (part of a meal served at one time)

helping; portion; serving (an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal)

entremets; side dish; side order (a dish that is served with, but is subordinate to, a main course)

sandwich (two (or more) slices of bread with a filling between them)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "meal"):

banquet; feast; spread (a meal that is well prepared and greatly enjoyed)

ploughman's lunch (a meal consisting of a sandwich of bread and cheese and a salad)

nosh-up (a large satisfying meal)

bite; collation; snack (a light informal meal)

picnic (any informal meal eaten outside or on an excursion)

buffet (a meal set out on a buffet at which guests help themselves)

supper (a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime)

dinner (the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday)

afternoon tea; tea; teatime (a light midafternoon meal of tea and sandwiches or cakes)

dejeuner; lunch; luncheon; tiffin (a midday meal)

brunch (combination breakfast and lunch; usually served in late morning)

breakfast (the first meal of the day (usually in the morning))

refection (a light meal or repast)

potluck (whatever happens to be available especially when offered to an unexpected guest or when brought by guests and shared by all)

square meal (a substantial and nourishing meal)

mess (a meal eaten in a mess hall by service personnel)

Sense 2

Meaning:

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

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Hypernyms ("meal" is a kind of...):

occasion (the time of a particular event)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Coarsely ground foodstuff; especially seeds of various cereal grasses or pulse

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("meal" is a kind of...):

food product; foodstuff (a substance that can be used or prepared for use as food)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "meal"):

cornmeal; Indian meal (coarsely ground corn)

farina (fine meal made from cereal grain especially wheat; often used as a cooked cereal or in puddings)

matzah meal; matzo meal; matzoh meal (meal made from ground matzos)

oatmeal; rolled oats (meal made from rolled or ground oats)

pea flour (meal made from dried peas)

pinole (meal made of finely ground corn mixed with sugar and spices)

kibble (coarsely ground grain in the form of pellets (as for pet food))

Derivation:

mealy (containing meal or made of meal)

 Context examples 

He knew the breed, though he had never met it so far north before; and never in his long life had porcupine served him for a meal.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Mr. Mell took his meals with the boys, but Mr. Sharp dined and supped at Mr. Creakle's table.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

These are meal plans that involve low-calorie, low-protein, plant-based foods.

(Fasting-Like Diets May Reverse Gut Inflammation, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The third group was meal fed, getting a single meal that added up to the exact number of calories as the round-the-clock group.

(Longer daily fasting times improve health and longevity, National Institutes of Health)

“I’ll be back by three,” said he, when we had finished our meal.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

A question about whether an individual is or has been able to enjoy meals with family or friends.

(Able to Enjoy Meals with Family or Friends, NCI Thesaurus)

The first meal of the day (usually in the morning).

(Breakfast, NCI Thesaurus)

And she proceeded to prepare the meal.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

When glucose levels are low during long periods between meals the enzyme glucagon secreted by the pancreas stimulates adipose lipase activity to release fatty acids from triglycerides.

(Beta-Oxidation of Fatty Acids Pathway, NCI Thesaurus/BIOCARTA)

The ultra-processed and unprocessed meals had the same amounts of calories, sugars, fiber, fat, and carbohydrates, and participants could eat as much or as little as they wanted.

(Heavily processed foods cause overeating and weight gain, National Institutes of Health)