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Synonyms

mess hall

American  

noun

  1. a place in which a group eats regularly, especially a dining hall in a military camp, post, etc.

mess hall British  

noun

  1. a military dining room, usually large

"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

Etymology

Origin of mess hall

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Critics of the leasing program argued that Building 13’s prime location, architectural value and original function as a mess hall made it an ideal community building.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 2, 2025

“But by the time we got those, the only set we had left to build was the mess hall that you walked into, which was part of the zoo lab,” said production designer Andy Nicholson.

From Salon • Jul. 17, 2025

Recently, I saw Denis in the mess hall and asked him one last question that had been gnawing at the back of my mind.

From Slate • May 19, 2025

When off-duty, crew members are either playing video games in the lounge or sharing meals in the ship's mess hall.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2025

I could hear the guys upstairs noisily getting ready to storm the mess hall.

From "Winger" by Andrew Smith

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.