repast

American  

[ri-past, -pahst, ree-past, -pahst, ri-past, -pahst] / rɪˈpæst, -ˈpɑst, ˈri pæst, -pɑst, rɪˈpæst, -ˈpɑst /

noun

1. a quantity of food taken or provided for one occasion of eating.

   to eat a light repast.

2. a meal.

   the evening repast.

3. the time during which a meal is eaten; mealtime.

4. Archaic. the taking of food, as at a meal.

5. Obsolete. food.

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verb (used without object)

• repasts,
  present (3rd person singular)
• repasted,
  past participle,  past
• repasting
  present participle

1. to eat or feast (often followed by on orupon ).

repast British  

/ rɪˈpɑːst /

noun

1. a meal or the food provided at a meal

   a light repast

2. archaic

   1. food in general; nourishment

   2. the act of taking food or refreshment

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verb

1. archaic (intr) to feed (on)

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• repasting
  present
• repasted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• repast
  simple
• repasts
  simple
• have repasted
  perfect
• has repasted
  perfect
• am repasting
  progressive
• are repasting
  progressive
• is repasting
  progressive
• have been repasting
  perfect progressive
• has been repasting
  perfect progressive

Past

• repasted
  simple
• had repasted
  perfect
• was repasting
  progressive
• were repasting
  progressive
• had been repasting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will repast
  simple
• will have repasted
  perfect
• will be repasting
  progressive
• will have been repasting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of repast

1300–50; Middle English (noun) < Old French, derivative (compare past < Latin pāstus fodder) of repaistre to eat a meal < Late Latin repāscere to feed regularly, equivalent to Latin re- re- + pāscere to feed ( cf. pasture)

Explanation

Whether it's a sumptuous feast you're sitting down to or just a simple bite to eat, repast is just another word for "meal." Based on the Latin word repascere, which means "to feed," a repast is any collection of food served and eaten at one time. In verb form, repast means to eat or feast. So at least by dictionary standards, you should feel free to repast on cheese doodles and marshmallow fluff for your morning repast — in other words, eat junk for breakfast.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

repast repasts repasted repasting

Not long afterward, another male red fox entered the scene of the crime; the purloined repast had been his.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 4, 2023

A prosecutor’s memo describes Caddle as “cold-hearted” and says he even attended the repast after Galdieri’s funeral.

From Washington Times ● Jun. 29, 2023

With a few final prayers, they head to the St. Regis New York for the after party . . . er, repast.

From Salon ● May 22, 2023

When they host, however, it's a more modest repast, not because of finances, but simply because they don't have much interest in cooking or baking.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 25, 2021

In a flash Basil had lugged a haversack from the undergrowth and was spreading a repast on the grass between them.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

After this first meal, I like to maul the rest of the meat off the bones to fashion into all manner of repasts throughout the week.

From New York Times ● Dec. 30, 2021

As a journalist, he brought not only a good appetite to his work but also a lyrical and dynamic approach to his accounts of notable repasts.

From The New Yorker ● Oct. 27, 2019

But according to a report by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, it appears that lawmakers may frequently mix the two over repasts in the members’ dining room.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 9, 2013

Yes, at first, well-heeled travelers took off in these new flying machines, white-gloved hands on their matching luggage, and prepared to enjoy civilized repasts seated at tables.

From Salon ● Dec. 28, 2010

They had always fish or flesh at breakfast, and were never without one or both at the repasts of noon and evening.

From Nooks and Corners of the New England Coast by Samuel Adams Drake

It can then be copied and repasted somewhere else in an instant.

From Slate ● Apr. 3, 2019

So far as he could possibly detect, not one had been altered or repasted on the end.

From A Husband by Proxy by Jack Steele

When these things are ready, the pasted cover should be examined and repasted if it has dried in any place.

From Bookbinding, and the Care of Books A handbook for Amateurs, Bookbinders & Librarians by Noel Rooke

Shakespeare's language remains undisturbed in this version, but Papp's imaginative scissoring and repasting has sculptured a Hamlet of crystalline tensity.

From Time Magazine Archive

So after repasting themselves, they made them ready for the journey with takeing repose that night.

From Voyages of Peter Esprit Radisson by Pierre Esprit Radisson