square meal
4
2.2
- noun
- /skwɛr miːl/
:
comida completa
- But if one were to take the view of the late Mr. Dhirubhai Ambani, the doyen of the largest Indian corporation, Reliance Industries, at the end of the day, one needs only two square meals and shelter over one's head.
- three square meals
- square meals a day
- eat a square meal
Examples
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Patients have three scheduled square meals every day and a snack in the evening.
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We got three square meals a day, unlike the Army...
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Sometimes he comes home for a square meal.
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Three square meals a day.
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I find it hard to get 8 hours of sleep and eat 3 square meals a day.
Blog text (17) -
Three square meals a day and good pay in your pocket.
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Okay, you get three square meals a day and we'll get you a nice pair of trousers.
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Society made sure women had a roof over their heads and three square meals per day, even in the worst of times.
Blog text (4) -
And children in these schools attend classes solely because they get a free lunch at school (they come from such poor families that they can't afford even a square meal a day).
Blog text (21) -
After a long day of work, all I wanted was a hearty square meal to fill me up.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A time when people eat, for example breakfast or dinner
2
1.6
A large filling meal that makes you feel full and warm
A large filling meal that gives you energy
Antonyms
Food that is easy to digest and avoids fried or spicy foods for people recovering from illness
How Filling
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'substantial, nourishing meal' is not directly derivable from the primary, geometric meaning of 'square' that a B1 learner would most likely know, so the expression is partly idiomatic. However, 'square' has extended senses (e.g. solid, proper, hearty) in English that can hint at the intended meaning, making the link partially recoverable rather than fully opaque.
Etymology
Square meal may come from the idea of a square solid plate or portion given to workers or soldiers, a neat, full plate with everything you needed. So, square meal means 'a nourishing, complete meal'.