dining car
- noun
- /ˈdaɪnɪŋ kɑr/
- You'll find me in the dining car.
- breakfast in the dining car
- lunch in the dining car
- dining car waiter
Examples
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In Italy, the trains actually run on time and serve surprisingly good meals in the dining car.
Blog text (13) -
The dining car closes in five minutes.
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- Shall I get sugar from the dining car?
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Please, return to the dining car.
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Are you going back to the dining car?
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Full breakfast in the dining car.
Fiction book (1992) -
Breakfast in the dining car.
Fiction book (1992) -
Wanted to let you know the dining car opens at 7.
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When the day ended, she ate supper in the dining car, removed her lenses, and tried to sleep.
Fiction book (1997) -
On the second night, I went to the dining car for dinner.
Synonyms
A passenger train car where people eat meals while the train moves
A part of a train where people can buy food and drinks
A part of a train where people eat meals while traveling
How Relaxing
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a railway passenger car where meals are served' is directly and compositionally derived from 'dining' (eating a meal) + 'car' (rail vehicle). This noun–noun compound follows a common English pattern (function/type + vehicle) and has clear parallels in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Dining car comes from the simple image of a dining area inside a train car. A separate car had tables and staff so people could eat while the train moved, so the phrase means 'a car on a train where meals are served'.