diner

American  

[dahy-ner] / ˈdaɪ nər /

noun

1. a person who dines.

2. a railroad dining car.

3. a restaurant built like such a car.

4. a small, informal, and usually inexpensive restaurant.

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diner British  

/ ˈdaɪnə /

noun

1. a person eating a meal, esp in a restaurant

2. a small restaurant, often at the roadside

3. a fashionable bar, or a section of one, where food is served

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Etymology

Origin of diner

First recorded in 1800–10; dine + -er ¹

Example Sentences

But demand for a table explodes during one of the 13 nights when the Yuletide Carolers come around to sing tableside to each diner.

From Salon • Mar. 10, 2026

On the way out, after one fellow diner tells Domingo he’s a fan, the actor teases another who tries to play it cool after spotting the star.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

And because of L.A.’s moderate climate, the ones here stay the way they are; whereas if you get 18 feet of winter snow, you tend to wear down the diner floor, seats, everything.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

The hard-to-please young diner is a recent phenomenon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

Dr. Morales explained this to them that night, when he stopped by the diner.

From "I Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, 1980" by Lauren Tarshis

Related Words

• bistro
• booth
• coffee shop
• saloon