meal

1
[ meel ]
/ mil /

noun

the food served and eaten especially at one of the customary, regular occasions for taking food during the day, as breakfast, lunch, or supper.
one of these regular occasions or times for eating food.

Origin of meal

1
before 900; Middle English; Old English mǣl measure, fixed time, occasion, meal; cognate with German Mal time, Mahl meal, Old Norse māl, Gothic mēl time, hour

OTHER WORDS FROM meal

meal·less, adjective

Definition for meals (2 of 2)

meal 2
[ meel ]
/ mil /

noun

a coarse, unsifted powder ground from the edible seeds of any grain: wheat meal; cornmeal.
any ground or powdery substance, as of nuts or seeds, resembling this.

Origin of meal

2
before 900; Middle English mele, Old English melu; cognate with German Mehl, Dutch meel, Old Norse mjǫl; akin to Gothic malan, Latin molere to grind. See mill1

OTHER WORDS FROM meal

meal·less, adjective

Example sentences from the Web for meals

British Dictionary definitions for meals (1 of 2)

meal 1
/ (miːl) /

noun

  1. any of the regular occasions, such as breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc, when food is served and eaten
  2. (in combination)mealtime Related adjective: prandial
the food served and eaten
make a meal of informal to perform (a task) with unnecessarily great effort

Word Origin for meal

Old English mǣl measure, set time, meal; related to Old High German māl mealtime

British Dictionary definitions for meals (2 of 2)

meal 2
/ (miːl) /

noun

the edible part of a grain or pulse (excluding wheat) ground to a coarse powder, used chiefly as animal food
Scot oatmeal
mainly US maize flour

Derived forms of meal

meal-less, adjective

Word Origin for meal

Old English melu; compare Dutch meel, Old High German melo, Old Norse mjöl

Idioms and Phrases with meals

meal