Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A light evening meal when dinner is taken at midday.
- n. A light meal eaten before going to bed.
- n. A dance or social affair where supper is served.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. The evening meal; the last repast of the day; specifically, a meal taken after dinner, whether dinner is served comparatively early or in the evening; in the Bible, the principal meal of the day—a late dinner (the later Roman cena, Greek
δεῖπνον ). - To take supper; sup.
- To give supper to.
Wiktionary
- n. Food consumed before going to bed.
- n. Any meal eaten in the evening; dinner eaten in the evening, rather than at noon.
- n. A drinker, especially one who drinks slowly (i.e, one who sups).
- v. To consume a snack before retiring.
- v. To eat dinner (see above).
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A meal taken at the close of the day; the evening meal.
- v. To take supper; to sup.
- v. To supply with supper.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a social gathering where a light evening meal is served
- n. a light evening meal; served in early evening if dinner is at midday or served late in the evening at bedtime
Etymologies
- Middle English, from Old French souper, to sup, supper; see sup2.
Examples
“I don't know where the term supper club was coined, or if it is a Wisconsin thang, but I have asked friends out east and none of them have heard of the term.”
“Now the term supper club to me conjures up images of 80yo's and membership cards.”
“Kids say the supper is a huge upgrade over the skimpy snacks.”
The Washington Post: D.C. schools dinner program aims to fight childhood hunger
“We change our dinner into what you call supper, and we will have the dining table moved out under the trees there.”
“Then they found a small restaurant and got what they called supper, although it was not a very good meal.”
Dave Porter in the Gold Fields The Search for the Landslide Mine
“With this in mind, and perhaps 18 local ears cocked in close attendance, when I reached the head of the Golden Fry queue I heard myself round off the word 'supper' in a ridiculous thrumming roll.”
Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph, Sunday Telegraph
“The dinner differs not at all from the breakfast, and the afternoon repast, which they term supper, is equally substantial.””
Life in Canada Fifty Years Ago
“The dinner differs not at all from the breakfast, and the afternoon repast, which they term supper, is equally substantial. ”
Country Life in Canada Fifty Years Ago Personal recollections and reminiscences of a sexagenarian
“He has so much going on, especially things that are insignificant to the people that are looking where their supper is comming from tonight, he cannot even keep up with the details.”
“This supper is inspired by Last Dinner on the Titanic by Rich Archbold and Dana McCauley, which also gives instructions on how to create dining on that fateful voyage.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘supper’.
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food collection
bread, peel, pot, chorizo, Filet, olive, fill, Phyllo, dough, bake, mat, pinot and 988 more...
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bepetersen's list
Words that I think should be banned from the English language
spittle, supper, crusty, moist, engorged, crotch, sinew, salve, suckle, mauve, damp, squat and 34 more...
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Nouns
ability, man, tree, apple, computer, chip, sheep, word, letter, light, dog, cube and 61 more...
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Verbs
edit, delete, get, take, abide, be, catch, wash, watch, fly, eat, sleep and 33 more...
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British Food
Traditional British dishes have some of the most unique and interesting names. Here's a list to collect all those wonderfully-named foods and delectable words to describe how delicious British cuis...
spotted dick, black pudding, crumpets, yorkshire pudding, mushy peas, bubble and squeak, scotch egg, fish and chips, clotted cream, full english, bangers and mash, sunday roast and 63 more...
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Canadian English that's not in American English
Warning, midwestern Americans may love and use these words.
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