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

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

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

Phil Rosenthal likes to sit at the counter of Max & Helen’s, the diner he recently opened with acclaimed chef Nancy Silverton, and chat with people while they eat.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

A homage to the Nate ’n Al’s diner of his youth was reconstructed—this one called Lew ’n Casey’s.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

Wasserman found a surrogate father in his grandfather Lew, who would leave his company’s office early to make Little League games and take him to Nate ’n Al’s diner on weekends.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

He and Mom and Jess had come up here whenever they could sneak away from the little diner they owned in Cedar.

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

Related Words

• bistro
• booth
• coffee shop
• saloon