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dinner

dinner

∞ 1.0
The main meal of the day, usually in the evening or at midday
  • noun
  • /ˈdɪnər/
: cena
  • She did make sure we had dinner most nights.
  • eat dinner
  • prepare dinner
  • family dinner

Drive home for dinner with my wife and kids.

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Examples

  • In the evening, after an early dinner, Udell and I went for a walk.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • I'd love to take you out to dinner one night.

  • Drive home for dinner with my wife and kids.

  • All right, so how was dinner so good?

  • All right, now it is time for dinner in the restaurant.

  • We're gonna have dinner before we get on that train.

  • One evening, I enjoyed having dinner with her family in their home.

    Academic text (2011)
  • So let's go get some dinner and just sit and chill out.

  • Turning to her son, Annabelle said, "Dinner will be on the table in half an hour."

    Fiction book (1990)
  • We all met every night for dinner and then put Henry to bed together.

Synonyms

meal
vsdinner
∞ 1.0

A time when people eat, for example breakfast or dinner

is the main daily eating occasion usually at midday or in the evening
supper
vsdinner
317 1.0

A light evening meal often shared with other people

is a larger main eating occasion rather than a light evening one

Idioms

9.9

A situation when you must give full effort or you get nothing

Compounds

75 1.0

An event where people are invited to eat dinner together

45 1.0

A table where people eat dinner and other meals

45 1.0

At a time before the evening meal

32 1.0

A meal that family members eat together, often in the evening

19 2.8

A frozen ready meal you heat and eat, often while watching TV

A private meal for two to create a loving, special mood

9 4.0

A place where you eat a meal while watching a play

5 1.0

A large plate for the main part of a meal

A matching set of plates, knives, and sometimes glasses that you use to serve a formal meal

formal dinner
  • Formal
4 3.3

A dinner where guests wear very smart clothes and follow strict manners

dinner bell
  • Archaic
4 1.1

A bell that rings to tell people that dinner is ready

3 3.1

A dark jacket worn by men at formal evening events

A large piece of cloth or paper people use at dinner to protect clothes and wipe the mouth and hands

1 1.3

A matching set of plates, bowls, and cups for serving dinner

1 8.3

A situation, job, or piece of work that is messy and badly done

A meal of fish and shellfish for the main course

4.7

A meal of corned beef cooked with cabbage, potatoes, carrots, and onions

dinner bucket
  • Archaic
6.8

A container that workers use to carry their lunch or dinner to work

dinner dress
  • Formal
3.4

A formal long gown worn to evening events like dinners

dinner gown
  • Formal
4.2

A formal dress worn to evening events, especially dinners

5.9

A small metal container workers use to carry lunch to work

7.6

A formal dinner for men to discuss business matters

A dish of corned beef boiled with cabbage, potatoes, and carrots

How Big

feast
162 1.9
dinner
∞ 1.0
meal
∞ 1.0
snack
471 1.0

Surface Forms

dinner singular
dinners plural

Etymology

Dinner comes from an old Latin word disjejunare, which means 'to break a fast' — to stop fasting and eat. So dinner became the name for the main meal of the day, which people now have at midday or in the evening.