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dinnertime

dinnertime

37 1.0
The usual time in the evening when people eat dinner
  • noun
  • /ˈdɪnərˌtaɪm/
translation icon : hora de la cena
  • Families often gather around the table at dinnertime to share stories from their day.
  • dinnertime rituals

And yeah, at dinnertime there are lots of lines.

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Examples

  • It's almost dinnertime, so we should start preparing the meal.

  • "I think," said Isabel's mother after a brief moment, "it's getting on to dinnertime."

    Fiction book (1998)
  • And yeah, at dinnertime there are lots of lines.

  • Two old white ladies came to our village late one day, just before dinnertime, at the beginning of the dry season.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • So we did that during dinnertime and ended up at the last possible restaurant.

    Blog text (2)
  • In a little bit, I'll put some white beans in there, and by dinnertime, we'll have some good eating, she said.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Rituals at dinnertime promote conversation among all family members at the dinner table.

    Academic text (1993)
  • Family rituals centered around dinnertime help to create a functioning, confident unit.

    Academic text (1993)
  • We learned how to improvise and let dinnertime extend from mid-afternoon into early evening.

    Blog text (18)
  • Together we watched the young moms coping with the anguish of dinnertime.

    Fiction book (1999)

Synonyms

suppertime
vsdinnertime
8 1.0

The usual evening time when people eat supper

is the usual evening eating time rather than a set appointment

How Informal

chowtime
  • Slang
1 9.6
dinnertime
37 1.0
mealtime
11 1.0

Surface Forms

dinnertime singular
dinnertimes plural

Morphology

dinnertime = dinner + time (transparent) = dinner + time

The meaning 'the usual time for dinner' follows directly from combining 'dinner' and 'time' in a standard, productive way.

Etymology

Dinnertime is simply the joining of dinner ('the evening meal') and time ('a moment or period'), so it means the usual time when people eat dinner. A helpful way to remember it is to imagine a 'meal clock' that tells you when to sit down and eat.