to eat the principal meal of the day; have dinner.
to take any meal.
(intr) to eat dinner
(intr; often foll by on, off, or upon) to make one's meal (of)
the guests dined upon roast beef
informal (tr) to entertain to dinner (esp in the phrase wine and dine someone )
The name Diné comes from the Native Athabascan language of the tribe, and it is preferred by many over Navajo, a name assigned by Spanish missionaries. Nevertheless, Navajo and Navaho are still in use and remain acceptable.
1250–1300; Middle English dinen < Anglo-French, Old French di ( s ) ner < Vulgar Latin *disjējūnāre to break one's fast, equivalent to Latin dis- dis- 1 + Late Latin jējūnāre to fast; see jejune
First recorded in 1915–20; a self-designation meaning “The People”; see also Navajo ( def. )
To dine is to eat a meal, particularly the last meal of the day. When you invite friends over for dinner, you can ask them if they'd like to dine with you. You can dine at home, or dine at a fancy restaurant — in either case, you're eating dinner. If someone tells you they "dine out on" a funny story, they mean it's endlessly entertaining and buys them a lot of good will and amusement. The verb dine comes from the Old French disner, "to dine" or "to have a meal," from desjunare, "to break one's fast."
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dine Brands also reported higher revenue, with Chief Executive John Peyton saying the company continues to benefit from its focus on value offerings, culturally relevant marketing and disciplined execution.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
Dine Brands Global swung to a loss in the fourth quarter, dragged down by an impairment charge, as revenue climbed higher.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026
Eventually that led to her own programme – Dine on a Budget – where she interviewed celebrities as she prepared a cheap three-course meal.
From BBC • Sep. 26, 2025
Woodburn also appeared on Channel 4 show Come Dine With Me, where contestants have their co-stars around to their house for a home-cooked three-course meal.
From BBC • Jun. 17, 2025
It is not just my story, but a story of our people and of the strength that we gain from holding on to our language, from being Dine’.
From "Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two" by Joseph Bruchac
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
