dinner

American  

[din-er] / ˈdɪn ər /

noun

1. the main meal of the day, eaten in the evening or at midday.

2. a formal meal in honor of some person or occasion.

3. table d'hôte.

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dinner British  

/ ˈdɪnə /

noun

1. a meal taken in the evening

2. a meal taken at midday, esp when it is the main meal of the day; lunch

3. 1. a formal evening meal, as of a club, society, etc

   2. a public banquet in honour of someone or something

4. a complete meal at a fixed price in a restaurant; table d'hôte

5. (modifier) of, relating to, or used at dinner

   dinner plate

   dinner table

   dinner hour

6. informal (usually passive) to do for, overpower, or outdo

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Other Word Forms

• dinnerless adjective
• predinner noun

Etymology

Origin of dinner

1250–1300; Middle English diner < Old French disner (noun use of v.); dine

Example Sentences

It was spring 2019, a gala dinner for the Chinese arm of his start-up competition Pitch@Palace – which turned out to be the last.

From BBC

A couple of months ago I was out to dinner with my sister when she turned to me with a serious look.

From The Wall Street Journal

On that snowy night in New Jersey, Sean Gray surveyed the dinner crowd from behind the kitchen door.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nontraditional uses include content creation, sit-down dinners, product launches, album listening parties and workshops.

From Los Angeles Times

“The notion of going to dinner in Santa Monica just feels like having nails shoved into my feet.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• banquet
• feast
• supper