Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The chief meal of the day, eaten in the evening or at midday.
- n. A banquet or formal meal in honor of a person or event.
- n. The food prepared for either of these meals.
- n. A full-course meal served at a fixed price; table d'hôte.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The principal meal of the day, taken at midday or later, even in the evening. In medieval and modern Europe the common practice, down to the middle of the eighteenth century, was to take this meal about midday, or in more primitive times even as early as 9 or 10 A. M. In France, under the old régime, the dinner-hour was at 2 or 3 in the afternoon; but when the Constituent Assembly moved to Paris, since it sat until 4 or 5 o'clock, the hour for dining was postponed. The custom of dining at 6 o'clock or later has since become common, except in the country, where early dinner is still the general practice. See extract under dinner-hour.
- n. An entertainment; a feast; a dinner-party.
- To take dinner; dine.
Wiktionary
- n. The main meal of the day, often eaten in the evening.
- n. An evening meal.
- n. A midday meal (in a context in which the lighter evening meal is called supper or tea).
- n. A meal given to an animal.
- n. A formal meal for many people eaten for a special occasion.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. The principal meal of the day, eaten in some countries about midday, but in others (especially in the U. S. and in large cities) at a later hour.
- n. An entertainment; a feast.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a party of people assembled to have dinner together
- n. the main meal of the day served in the evening or at midday
Etymologies
- Middle English diner, morning meal, from Old French disner, diner, to dine, morning meal; see dine.
Examples
“At length the clock in the steeple of the "Old South" pronounced that the dinner hour had arrived -- and despite the intense cold, the street soon became alive with people hurrying to and fro; for what weather can induce a hungry man to neglect that important era in the events of the day -- his _dinner_?”
“We had,' she records, in May 1779, 'a very grand dinner to-day, _though nothing to a Streatham dinner_, at the Ship Tavern [Brighton], where the officers mess, to which we were invited by the major and the captain. ”
“In our house the term dinner was reserved for special occasions and holidays.”
“In Spain dinner is eaten late, ten, eleven p.m. late, so tapas are the solution.”
“What brings hundreds to the dinner is the appearance of alumni members who sign autographs and interact with guests.”
“Although the dinner is a traditional showcase for presidential humor, there was scathing backlash from Democrats, anti-war liberals and relatives of servicemembers.”
“When mamma and I sit down to what we call dinner, I always feel that there is”
“Now he came in to what he called dinner, and Kate sat down with him.”
“This dinner is a particularly happy occasion for me, as it brings me an opportunity of meeting, once again, the present and former officers of my regiment, with their wives.”
“The poorest must have beef or mutton on the table, and what they call a dinner with their friends.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘dinner’.
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MANY A WORD!
This is just a list, right, that I'm gonna, like, fill with words, that, like, are every word that I can, like, think of with, ahhmm, my brain.
and, able, art, ass, algebra, amp, ankle, booze, bong, aura, bling, bright and 134 more...
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Stuffie: You haven't lived.
Stuff you have.
a fit and fall in it, the last word, the last laugh, boy, girl, baby, cow, at it, it all, the time of your ..., chub-on, conniption and 10 more...
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Phrases from British novels, between the wars
lust legs and lip..., lawner, clettering, cletter, big business, pointless, feckless, aimless, graceless, something nasty i..., cold comfort, mollock and 61 more...
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What time is it?
Words known for filling in the blank in the phrase "It's _____ time!"
clobbering, Howdy Doody, party, Miller, about, crunch, hammer, quitting, peanut butter jelly, high, dinner, only available fo... and 7 more...
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Natural Bait
Things and situations that draw and inspire humans and/or animals, to interact with one another.
pot-luck dinner, water park, lek, spawning season, square dance, county fair, whale rescue, hurricane, flood, pet store, fish market, farmers' market and 87 more...
BrainyBabe One evening, after that meal which the Otchkinsons, observing a finer distinction than the Ramerils, called dinner when they had company, but supper when they were alone... - ''Yashima, or, The Gorgeous West'' by R T Sherwood, 1931. Dec 23, 2008