meal
Pluralmeals
Pluralmeals
- 1Food eaten at one time, such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner, or the time when you eat it.
We cooked a big meal for the whole family on Sunday.
She skipped breakfast, so lunch was her first meal of the day.
UsageSay have a meal.
- 2Grain crushed into powder for food or animal feed, or any powder or small grains that look like it.
Like flour, but usually a little rougher when you rub it between your fingers.
The miller ground the wheat into fine meal for baking.
The farmer mixed meal and water to feed the pigs.
UsageSay coarse meal or fine meal.
Similarflour
Note
- 3
Less common meanings
- 4A set time or occasion when something happens.
Ye wolde wepe at every mele; But for my sone wepe ye never a dele. You would weep at every meal, but for my son you never weep a deal.
The Lamentation of the Virgin Mary (MS. Cantab., Ff. ii., 38Here, meal means a time or occasion, so on every occasion.c1500, In A Chyrchː Thou couth well weep at every meal.
Here, meal means a time or occasion, so at every occasion.Note
- 5
- 6To produce a lot of meal when ground.
Of course the yield of grain was small, but much greater than could have been expected; and, the ears being well filled, it mealed well. The pastures were burnt up, so that there was nothing left for the cattle to eat.
1876, Notes and QueriesHere, mealed means the grain gave a good amount of meal when ground.Note
- 7A break that a police officer takes to eat during a shift.
- 8A small spot or mark, like a tiny stain.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origins
From Old English mǣl, meaning a set time: including a time for eating.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
- Meal derives from Old English mǣl. en.wiktionary.org
- Old English mǣl meant a set time, including a time for eating. en.wiktionary.org
From Old English melu, meaning ground grain or flour.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 1 fact
- Meal derives from Old English melu, meaning meal or flour. en.wiktionary.org
A variation of mole, from Old English māl meaning a spot or mark.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts
- Meal is a variation of mole. en.wiktionary.org
- The word derives from Old English māl, meaning a spot or mark. en.wiktionary.org