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

Explanation

A diner is a person who's eating a meal, and it's also a word for a casual restaurant. If you pass by a diner in a diner, check out what's on his plate. It could be anything from eggs over easy to salisbury steak. If you dine in a cafe you're a diner, and if you eat in the dining car on a train, you can call it a diner too. Your favorite neighborhood diner — a casual restaurant that keeps late hours and serves a variety of food — is actually named after these railroad restaurants. The original diners, from the 1930s, were shaped like train cars, often clad in stainless steel, and had long, narrow space inside with stools along a counter.

Example Sentences

In the diner, for example, the speakers play outdoor sounds including crickets to create a real drive-in movie atmosphere.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

They borrowed money and leased an old greasy-spoon diner downtown with two months to renovate before rent was due.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Service was thoughtful, even as a solo diner, with spot-on recommendations.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

Located just outside Abadiânia, an agricultural town about 60 miles from Brasília, Route 60 is family diner, truck stop and country store rolled into one.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

I don’t want to have this caring, concerned friendship; I don’t want her to suggest another breakfast, another diner.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse

Related Words

• bistro
• booth
• coffee shop
• saloon