meal

meal
{{11}}meal (n.1) "food; time for eating," c.1200 (perhaps late Old English), mel "appointed time for eating," also "a meal, feast," from O.E. mæl "fixed time, occasion, a meal," from P.Gmc. *mæla- (Cf. O.Fris. mel "time;" M.Du. mael, Du. maal "time, meal;" O.N. mal "measure, time, meal;" Ger. Mal "time," Mahl "meal;" Goth. mel "time, hour"), from PIE *me-lo-, from root *me- "to measure" (see METER (Cf. meter) (n.2)). Original sense of "time" is preserved in PIECEMEAL (Cf. piecemeal). Meals-on-wheels attested from 1961. Meal ticket first attested 1870 in literal sense of "ticket of admission to a dining hall;" figurative sense of "source of income or livelihood" is from 1899.
{{12}}meal (n.2) "edible ground grain," O.E. melu "meal, flour," from W.Gmc. *melwan "grind" (Cf. O.Fris. mele "meal," O.S. melo, M.Du. mele, Du. meel, O.H.G. melo, Ger. Mehl, O.N. mjöl "meal;" O.S., O.H.G., Goth. malan "to grind," Ger. mahlen), from PIE root *mele- "to grind" (see MALLET (Cf. mallet)).

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • meal — W2S2 [mi:l] n [Sense: 1,3; Origin: Old English mAl time, meal ] [Sense: 2; Origin: Old English melu] 1.) an occasion when you eat food, for example breakfast or dinner, or the food that you eat on that occasion ▪ After the movie we went for a… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • meal — [ mil ] noun *** 1. ) count an occasion when you eat, especially breakfast, lunch, or DINNER: The medicine should always be taken with meals. go out for a meal (=go to a restaurant): We could go to a movie, or go out for a meal. main meal (=the… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • meal — UK US /miːl/ noun ► [C] an occasion when food is eaten, or the food which is eaten on such an occasion: go out/take sb out for a meal »He took the whole team out for a meal at the end of the project. have/eat a meal »I have my main meal at midday …   Financial and business terms

  • Meal — Meal, n. [OE. mel; akin to E. meal a part, and to D. maal time, meal, G. mal time, mahl meal, Icel. m[=a]l measure, time, meal, Goth. m[=e]l time, and to E. measure. See {Measure}.] The portion of food taken at a particular time for the… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Meal — Meal, n. [OE. mele, AS. melu, melo; akin to D. meel, G. mehl, OHG. melo, Icel. mj[ o]l, SW. mj[ o]l, Dan. meel, also to D. malen to grind, G. mahlen, OHG., OS., & Goth. malan, Icel. mala, W. malu, L. molere, Gr. my lh mill, and E. mill. [root]108 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • meal — meal·able; meal; meal·berry; meal·er; meal·ie; meal·i·ness; meal·less; meal·man; meal·ock; piece·meal; …   English syllables

  • meal|y — meal|y1 «MEE lee», adjective, meal|i|er, meal|i|est. 1. like meal; dry and powdery: »mealy potatoes. 2. of or containing meal: »the mealy treasures of the harvest bin …   Useful english dictionary

  • meal — Ⅰ. meal [1] ► NOUN 1) any of the regular daily occasions when food is eaten. 2) the food eaten on such an occasion. ● make a meal of Cf. ↑make a meal of ORIGIN Old English …   English terms dictionary

  • Meal — (m[=e]l), n. [OE. mele, AS. m[=ae]l part, portion, portion of time; akin to E. meal a repast. Cf. {Piecemeal}.] A part; a fragment; a portion. [Obs.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Meal — Meal, v. t. 1. To sprinkle with, or as with, meal. Shak. [1913 Webster] 2. To pulverize; as, mealed powder. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • meal — meal1 [mēl] n. [ME mele < OE mæl, a measure, fixed time, meal, akin to Ger mal, time, mahl, meal < IE base * mē , to MEASURE] 1. any of the times, esp. the customary times, for eating, as breakfast, lunch, or dinner 2. the food served or… …   English World dictionary

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