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

There’s the diner scene in which Al Pacino and Robert De Niro are on screen together for the first time, lecturing each about how “you can’t change me.”

From Los Angeles Times

Cracker Barrel has switched back to some of its previous cooking procedures and restored menu items such as Campfire Meals and Uncle Herschel’s Favorite Breakfast that diners had requested.

From The Wall Street Journal

Rye is the old-school classic, its slight tang and caraway whisper built for diner lore.

From Salon

Cava doesn’t discount, and it has no plans to even as some diners pull back on eating out.

From The Wall Street Journal

Restaurant diners at this time of year can find Peking turkey, jerk turkey, tandoori turkey and even the French take.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bistro
• booth
• coffee shop
• saloon