meals on wheels

American  

noun

(sometimes initial capital letter)

1. a program, usually one supported or subsidized by a charitable, social, or government agency, for delivering hot meals regularly to elderly, disabled, or convalescing persons who are housebound and cannot cook for themselves.

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meals on wheels British  

noun

1. (functioning as singular) social welfare a service, usually subsidized, and run by a social services department or voluntary body, which delivers hot meals to elderly or housebound people who might otherwise be unable to have them

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Etymology

Origin of meals on wheels

First recorded in 1960–65

Example Sentences

Aged 82, she had lived in Australia for decades and was honoured in 2022 for delivering kosher meals on wheels for decades, the group said.

From Barron's • Dec. 17, 2025

Although she was "in poor health now", her daughter Sue said Gladys, who loved Weetabix, was still delivering meals on wheels in her 80s.

From BBC • Oct. 25, 2023

Added Walter Becker: “We were shut-ins, it’s just that instead of being shut in our homes with meals on wheels we were in recording studios with takeout food.”

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 4, 2019

Perhaps volunteer work, tutoring kids, meals on wheels, anything other than the pain and anguish of life as an M’s fan?

From Seattle Times • Aug. 18, 2019

She always seemed to need to use an asthma inhaler on Wednesdays – the day she spent hours in her car, delivering steaming-hot dinners for meals on wheels.

From The Guardian • Dec. 11, 2018