meal

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Food

meal /miːl/ S2 W2 noun 1 [countable]DF an occasion when you eat food, for example breakfast or dinner, or the food that you eat on that occasion 一餐；饭 We must have a meal together some time. 我们一定要找个时间一起吃顿饭。 Dinner is the main meal of the day for most people. 晚饭是大多数人一天中的主餐。2. [uncountable]DFTA grain that has been crushed into a powder, for making flour or animal food 〔谷类的〕粗磨粉 → bonemeal3 make a meal (out) of something British English informalTOO/TOO MUCHDIFFICULT to spend too much time or effort doing something 花费过多的时间[精力]做某事，对某事小题大做 He made a real meal out of parking the car. 他为了把车停放好真肯花时间。 COLLOCATIONSverbshave a meal (=eat a meal) 吃饭We usually have our evening meal fairly early. 我们一般晚饭吃得挺早。eat a meal 吃饭When they had eaten their meal, they went out for a walk. 他们吃完饭就出去散步了。cook/make a meal (also prepare a meal formal) 做饭Who cooks most of the meals? 饭多数是谁做的？serve a meal 提供饭食The bar serves snacks and meals. 这家小吃店提供小吃和饭食。nfix a meal informal especially American English (=make a meal)go (out) for a meal 出去吃饭nHow about going out for a meal tonight?take somebody (out) for a meal 带某人（出）去吃饭nHe took Anna out for a meal and then to the theatre.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + mealan evening/midday meal 晚饭/午饭The evening meal is served at 7.30. 晚饭7:30供应。the main meal 主餐，正餐They had their main meal at lunchtime. 他们的正餐是午餐。a three-course/five-course etc meal (=a meal with several separate parts) 有三道/五道菜等的一餐饭a three-course meal, including appetizer and dessert 有三道菜的一餐，包括开胃菜和甜食a good meal (=a meal that is large enough and tastes good) 一顿美餐We’ll get a good meal there. 在那儿我们将美餐一顿。a decent meal/a square meal (also a proper meal British English) (=with enough good food to satisfy you) 相当不错的饭菜/丰盛的一餐nI hadn’t had a decent meal in days.na big/large mealWe don’t have a big meal at lunchtime, usually just sandwiches.a hot meal 热饭（菜）nWith a hot meal inside me, I began to feel better.a delicious meal 美味的一餐n‘It was a delicious meal, ’ Merrill said politely.a heavy meal (=with a lot of rich food) 不易消化的一餐nA heavy meal is likely to make you feel sleepy.a light meal (=with not a lot of food) 便餐na light meal of salada simple meal 简单的一餐，便饭na simple meal of soup and breada balanced meal (=with some of each type of food, to keep you healthy) 均衡的膳食nWe make healthy, balanced meals for our children.na gourmet meal (=one with very nice and often complicated food)The day ended with a gourmet meal in a good restaurant.na slap-up meal British English informal (=a good meal)Jennie cooked us a slap-up meal.na full meal (=a complete meal)I’m not hungry enough to eat a full meal.na healthy mealHealthy meals can still be quick and easy to prepare.a school meal (=provided by a school) 学生餐nMany of the children are receiving free school meals.nregular meals (=ones that are eaten at the same time each day)Patients are advised to eat regular meals.COMMON ERRORS ► Don’t say ‘take a meal’. Say have a meal. 不要说 ‘take a meal’. 而要说 have a meal.n THESAURUStypes of mealbreakfast a meal that you eat in the morningbrunch a meal that you eat in the late morning, instead of breakfast or lunchlunch a meal that you eat in the middle of the daytea British English a meal that you eat in the afternoon or eveningdinner the main meal of the day, which most people eat in the eveningsupper a small meal that you eat in the evening, in British English; the main meal that you eat in the evening, in American Englishpicnic a meal that you eat outdoors, consisting of food that you cooked or prepared earlierbarbecue a meal that you cook outdoors over hot coals or wood and eat outdoorssnack a small amount of food that is eaten between main meals or instead of a mealside dish food eaten with the main course, such as vegetablesI’ll have the salad as a side dish.course one of the separate parts of a meal, such as the starter or the desserta three-course mealparts of a large mealhors d'oeuvre (also starter British English, appetizer American English) the small first part of a meala tempting plate of hors d'oeuvres including olives and small pieces of roast beetrootmain course (also entrée especially American English) the main part of a meal. entrée is used especially on restaurant menusFor the main course we had cheese and onion pie. The menu includes a few hot entrées.dessert (also pudding British English or sweet British English) sweet food eaten at the end of a mealWhat do you want for dessert?They serve a wide range of desserts, including ice cream and home-made apple pie.

Examples from the Corpus

meal• Would you like to go out for a meal sometime, Emma?• It was Lisa's birthday so we took her out for a meal.• All meals are available in the Feathertonehaugh dining room.• You shouldn't exercise after a big meal.• Jeff cooked us a delicious meal last night.• Wipe kitchen counters after each meal.• Having informed him that the evening meal was at eight, the proprietor took himself off, leaving Karelius with his thoughts.• We had an excellent meal in a Chinese restaurant.• a five-course gourmet meal• We usually have our main meal in the middle of the day.• It's eight dollars for my meal, without the tip.• I usually have one meal a day with Mom and Dad.• Many of these patients claim that they can not be fat because they eat only one meal a day.• The other things must be matters connected with the sacred meal.• The hotel was nice, and the meals were really good.• She began to cook the meal, briefly wondering how her own household was coping without her.• Miriam was silent all through the meal.• From seven grateful clients, Project Open Hand soon grew to a charity serving eight thousand meals a day.Origin meal 1. Old English mæl “time, meal”2. Old English melu

meal noun →COLLOCATIONS1 →n THESAURUS1LDOCE OnlineChinese

eat occasion for breakfast an example when Corpus you food,

meal
meal S2 W2 /miːl/

noun

Sense 1,3

Language: Old English
Origin: mæl 'time, meal'

Sense 2

Language: Old English
Origin: melu

1. [countable] an occasion when you eat food, for example breakfast or dinner, or the food that you eat on that occasion:

We must have a meal together some time.

Dinner is the main meal of the day for most people.
2. [uncountable] grain that has been crushed into a powder, for making flour or animal food ⇨ bonemeal
3. make a meal (out) of something British English informal to spend too much time or effort doing something:

He made a real meal out of parking the car.

COLLOCATIONS

■ verbs
   ▪ have a meal (=eat a meal) We usually have our evening meal fairly early.
   ▪ eat a meal When they had eaten their meal, they went out for a walk.
   ▪ cook/make a meal (also prepare a meal formal) Who cooks most of the meals?
   ▪ serve a meal The bar serves snacks and meals.
   ▪ fix a meal informal especially American English (=make a meal)
   ▪ go (out) for a meal How about going out for a meal tonight?
   ▪ take somebody (out) for a meal He took Anna out for a meal and then to the theatre.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + meal
   ▪ an evening/midday meal The evening meal is served at 7.30.
   ▪ the main meal They had their main meal at lunch time.
   ▪ a three-course/five-course etc meal (=a meal with several separate parts) a three-course meal, including appetizer and dessert
   ▪ a good meal (=a meal that is large enough and tastes good) We’ll get a good meal there.
   ▪ a decent meal/a square meal (also a proper meal British English) (=with enough good food to satisfy you) I hadn’t had a decent meal in days.
   ▪ a big/large meal We don’t have a big meal at lunchtime, usually just sandwiches.
   ▪ a hot meal With a hot meal inside me, I began to feel better.
   ▪ a delicious meal ‘It was a delicious meal,’ Merrill said politely.
   ▪ a heavy meal (=with a lot of rich food) A heavy meal is likely to make you feel sleepy.
   ▪ a light meal (=with not a lot of food) a light meal of salad
   ▪ a simple meal a simple meal of soup and bread
   ▪ a balanced meal (=with some of each type of food, to keep you healthy) We make healthy, balanced meals for our children.
   ▪ a gourmet meal (=one with very nice and often complicated food) The day ended with a gourmet meal in a good restaurant.
   ▪ a slap-up meal British English informal (=a good meal) Jennie cooked us a slap-up meal.
   ▪ a full meal (=a complete meal) I’m not hungry enough to eat a full meal.
   ▪ a healthy meal Healthy meals can still be quick and easy to prepare.
   ▪ a school meal (=provided by a school) Many of the children are receiving free school meals.
   ▪ regular meals (=ones that are eaten at the same time each day) Patients are advised to eat regular meals.
■ COMMON ERRORS
    ► Do not say 'take a meal'. Say have a meal.

THESAURUS

■ types of meal
   ▪ breakfast a meal that you eat in the morning
   ▪ brunch a meal that you eat in the late morning, instead of breakfast or lunch
   ▪ lunch a meal that you eat in the middle of the day
   ▪ tea British English a meal that you eat in the afternoon or evening
   ▪ dinner the main meal of the day, which most people eat in the evening
   ▪ supper a small meal that you eat in the evening, in British English; the main meal that you eat in the evening, in American English
   ▪ picnic a meal that you eat outdoors, consisting of food that you cooked or prepared earlier
   ▪ barbecue a meal that you cook outdoors over hot coals or wood and eat outdoors
   ▪ snack a small amount of food that is eaten between main meals or instead of a meal
   ▪ side dish food eaten with the main course, such as vegetables: I’ll have the salad as a side dish.
   ▪ course one of the separate parts of a meal, such as the starter or the dessert: a three-course meal
■ parts of a large meal
   ▪ hors d'oeuvre (also starter British English, appetizer American English) the small first part of a meal: a tempting plate of hors d'oeuvres including olives and small pieces of roast beetroot
   ▪ main course (also entrée especially American English) the main part of a meal. entrée is used especially on restaurant menus: For the main course we had cheese and onion pie. | The menu includes a few hot entrées.
   ▪ dessert (also pudding British English or sweet British English) sweet food eaten at the end of a meal: What do you want for dessert? | They serve a wide range of desserts, including ice cream and home-made apple pie.

🔑 meal

BrE

/miːl/

🔊

NAmE

/miːl/

🔊

noun

🔑

[countable]

an occasion when people sit down to eat food, especially breakfast, lunch or dinner 早（或午、晚）餐；一顿饭

◆Try not to eat between meals. 两餐之间尽量别吃东西。

🔊

◆Lunch is his main meal of the day. 午饭是他的正餐。

🔊

◆

(

especially BrE

)

go out for a meal

(= to go to a restaurant to have a meal)

去餐馆用餐

◆What time would you like your evening meal? 你打算几点钟吃晚饭？

🔊

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People use the words dinner, lunch, supper and tea in different ways depending on which English-speaking country they come from. In Britain it may also depend on which part of the country or which social class a person comes from. 来自不同英语国家的人使用 dinner、lunch、supper 和 tea 的方式各不相同。在英国，这些词的用法按某人来自的地区和社会阶层而有所区别。
A meal eaten in the middle of the day is usually called lunch. If it is the main meal of the day it may also be called dinner in BrE, especially in the north of the country. 午餐通常叫作 lunch，但在英式英语中，尤其在英国北部，如果是一天的主餐，亦可叫作 dinner。
A main meal eaten in the evening is usually called dinner, especially if it is a formal meal. Supper is also an evening meal, but more informal than dinner and usually eaten at home. It can also be a late meal or something to eat and drink before going to bed. 晚上的主餐，尤其是正式用餐，通常叫作 dinner。supper 亦为晚餐，但不如 dinner 正式，而且一般在家里吃，亦可指较晚的晚餐或睡前夜宵。
In BrE, tea is a light meal in the afternoon with sandwiches, cakes, etc. and a cup of tea. 在英式英语中，tea 指下午的茶点，包括三明治、糕点等和一杯茶：◆a cream tea 奶油茶点 It can also be a main meal eaten early in the evening, especially by children. * tea 亦可指傍晚主餐，尤指孩子傍晚食用的：◆What time do the kids have their tea? 孩子们什么时候用傍晚主餐？
As a general rule, if dinner is the word someone uses for the meal in the middle of the day, they probably call the meal in the evening tea or supper. If they call the meal in the middle of the day lunch, they probably call the meal in the evening dinner. 一般说来，若午餐叫 dinner，晚餐则大多叫 tea 或 supper。如果午餐叫 lunch，晚餐则大多叫 dinner。
Brunch, a combination of breakfast and lunch, is becoming more common, especially as a meal where your guests serve themselves. * brunch 是早餐和午餐合二为一的早午餐，如今日趋普遍，尤为自助餐形式。

binge, calorie, diet, digest, eat, fattening, food, meal, restaurant, taste

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Eating out 去餐馆吃饭

eat (lunch/dinner)/dine/meet at/in a restaurant 在一家餐馆吃（午／晚）饭／进餐／碰面
go (out)/take sb (out) for lunch/dinner/a meal 去／带某人去（外面）吃午饭／吃晚饭／用餐
have a meal with sb 与某人一起吃饭
make/have a reservation (in/under the name of Yamada) （以山田的名字）预订座位
reserve/ (especially BrE) book a table for six 预订一张坐六人的桌子
ask for/request a table for two/a table by the window 要一张两人桌／靠窗的桌子

In the restaurant 在餐馆

wait to be seated 等待就座
show sb to their table 把某人引到桌旁
sit in the corner/by the window/at the bar/at the counter 坐在角落／窗边／吧台边／柜台边
hand sb/give sb the menu/wine list 把菜单／酒水单递给某人
open/read/study/peruse the menu 打开／看／仔细看菜单
the restaurant has a three-course set menu/a children's menu/an extensive wine list 这餐馆有一个三道菜的套餐／儿童菜单／丰富的酒水单
taste/sample/try the wine 品尝葡萄酒
the waiter takes your order 服务生帮你点餐
order/choose/have the soup of the day/one of the specials/the house (BrE) speciality/(especially NAmE) specialty 点当日例汤／一道特色菜／餐馆特色菜
serve/finish the first course/the starter/the main course/dessert/coffee 端上／吃完第一道菜／开胃菜／主菜／甜点；端上／喝完咖啡
complain about the food/the service/your meal 抱怨食物／服务／饭菜不好
enjoy your meal 享用饭菜