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• dine
  dine

  verb (used without object)

  to eat the principal meal of the day; have dinner.
• Dine
  Dine

  noun

  James Jim, born 1935, U.S. painter.
• Diné
  Diné

  noun

  a member of the Navajo people.

dine

¹ American  

[dahyn] / daɪn /

verb (used without object)

dined, dining

1. to eat the principal meal of the day; have dinner.

2. to take any meal.

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verb (used with object)

dined, dining

1. to entertain at dinner.

noun

1. Scot. dinner.

verb phrase

1. dine out to take a meal, especially the principal or more formal meal of the day, away from home, as in a hotel or restaurant.

   They dine out at least once a week.

Dine ² American  

[dahyn] / daɪn /

noun

1. James Jim, born 1935, U.S. painter.

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Diné ³ American  

[dih-ney] / dɪˈneɪ /

noun

Dinés plural

1. a member of the Navajo people.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of the Navajo, their language, or their culture.

   handcrafted Diné jewelry.

dine British  

/ daɪn /

verb

1. (intr) to eat dinner

2. (intr; often foll by on, off, or upon) to make one's meal (of)

   the guests dined upon roast beef

3. informal (tr) to entertain to dinner (esp in the phrase wine and dine someone )

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dine Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing dine

• eat (dine) out
• wine and dine

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Sensitive Note

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.

Other Word Forms

• predine
  verb (used without object)

Etymology

Origin of dine¹

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

Origin of Diné³

First recorded in 1915–20; a self-designation meaning “The People”; see also Navajo ( def. )

Explanation

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."

Example Sentences

This time he is expected to dine at the Great Hall of the People, an imposing structure off Tiananmen Square that hosts high-level gatherings of the Chinese Communist Party.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

But some analysts said its lower-income shoppers have still been reluctant to dine out.

From MarketWatch • May 3, 2026

After more strolls along the tundra, I dine at Grill It restaurant, where winter appears plated rather than resisted.

From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026

For cardholders, figuring out which card offers the best value can be tricky, and often depends on lifestyle factors like how often people travel or dine out.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

But they do let two women dine alone in peace.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

Related Words

• consume
• eat out
• feast
• lunch