meal ticket

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See synonyms for meal ticket on Thesaurus.com

noun

a ticket that entitles the bearer to meals in a specified restaurant, especially when meals purchased in this manner are offered at reduced rates.

Informal. someone upon whom one is dependent for one's income or livelihood: selfish children who look upon their father only as a meal ticket.

Informal. something, as an object or ability possessed by a person, that is necessary to that person's livelihood: The radio announcer's voice was his meal ticket.

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Origin of meal ticket

An Americanism dating back to 1865–70

Words nearby meal ticket

mealie meal, mealie pap, mealies, meal moth, meals on wheels, meal ticket, mealtime, mealworm, mealy, mealybug, mealy-mouthed

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use meal ticket in a sentence

Older musicians, such as Jo Jones, Sonny Greer, Sammy Price, Russell Procope, and Earle Warren, who had known Schaap as an eccentric teen-ager now welcomed him as a meal ticket.
Phil Schaap, jazz scholar, historian and broadcaster, dies at 70|Tim Page|September 8, 2021|Washington Post
Farrell issued a ticket to an 18-year-old shipyard worker for speeding and an improper exhaust mechanism, according to the TP.
The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Yet we keep doing the cleanses, buying the meal replacement bars, and joining Weight Watchers.
Why Your New Year’s Diet Will Fail|Carrie Arnold|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Like any exciting meal, Food will leave you smiling and satisfied.
The 10 Best Albums of 2014: Taylor Swift, Sia, Run the Jewels, and More|Marlow Stern|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In the mid-afternoon, Ramos and Liu were parked on Tomkins Avenue on a meal break.
In The Shadow of Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
One area that would immediately benefit is revenue from ticket sales.
Is Any College Football Coach Worth $60 Million? Jim Harbaugh Is|Jesse Lawrence|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Individual samples may be slightly alkaline, especially after a full meal.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
He had got his ticket of admission to the Casino, after arriving yesterday evening; but the Rooms had not pleased him then.
Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson
Following the boys, Baptiste entered by the kitchen door to encounter the mother and three daughters preparing the meal.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
Hilda suggested that the ticket-clerk should be interrogated, but the aperture of communication with him was shut.
Hilda Lessways|Arnold Bennett
She smiled a smile after this that was one of satisfaction, and at that moment her sisters called that the meal was ready.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux

British Dictionary definitions for meal ticket

meal ticket

noun

slang a person, situation, etc, providing a source of livelihood or income

Word Origin for meal ticket

from original US sense of ticket entitling holder to a meal

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with meal ticket

meal ticket

A person or thing depended on as a source of income, as in Magic Johnson was a real meal ticket for his team, or Her interpersonal skills will be her meal ticket when she goes into sales. This metaphoric expression alludes to the earlier practice of handing out tickets that entitle their holder to a meal. [Early 1900s]

meal ticket

Origin of meal ticket

Words nearby meal ticket

Words related to meal ticket

How to use meal ticket in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for meal ticket

Word Origin for meal ticket

Other Idioms and Phrases with meal ticket