Synonyms

dining car

American

noun

a railroad car equipped with tables and chairs, in which meals are served.

dining car British

noun

Also called: restaurant car. a railway coach in which meals are served at tables

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of dining car

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

By the time I arrived in the dining car for my first dinner aboard, we were nearing Barstow.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

The latter comes with three meals a day in the dining car.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025

A perk of having a room is that it’s considered first class, so a dedicated attendant will be available to help with turndown service and luggage, and dining car meals are complimentary.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 24, 2024

And so Ricky Chatto found himself constructing a complete dining car and sleeper carriage inside Clean Bandit’s studio in Finsbury Park.

From BBC • Aug. 20, 2024

Then, leaning back, he ran his eye thoughtfully round the dining car.

From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023