repast

[noun ri-past, -pahst, ree-past, -pahst; verb ri-past, -pahst]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR repast ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a quantity of food taken or provided for one occasion of eating: to eat a light repast.

a meal: the evening repast.

the time during which a meal is eaten; mealtime.

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

Obsolete. food.

verb (used without object)

to eat or feast (often followed by on or upon).

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)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for repast

feed, fare, snack, grub, victuals, food, feast, eats, refreshment, mess, spread, chow, banquet, refection

Examples from the Web for repast

Historical Examples of repast

Sometimes they slay their own wives, and invite their neighbours to the repast.
Female Scripture Biographies, Vol. II
Francis Augustus Cox
Will you not honour us so far as to sit down with us and share our repast?'
Micah Clarke
Arthur Conan Doyle
When the officers learned that I was a Russian, they invited me to share their repast.
The Unknown Life of Jesus Christ
Nicolas Notovitch
They eventually settled on a restaurant and ordered their repast.
Cleo The Magnificent
Louis Zangwill
She lays the tray before her son and invites me to partake of the repast.
The Book of Khalid
Ameen Rihani

British Dictionary definitions for repast

repast

noun

a meal or the food provided at a meala light repast

archaic

food in general; nourishment
the act of taking food or refreshment

verb

(intr) archaic to feed (on)

Word Origin for repast

C14: from Old French, from repaistre to feed, from Late Latin repāscere to nourish again, from Latin re- + pāscere to feed, pasture (of animals)

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

Word Origin and History for repast

late 14c., from Old French repast (Modern Frech repas) "a meal, food," from Late Latin repastus "meal" (also source of Spanish repasto, noun use of past participle of repascere "to feed again," from Latin re- "repeatedly" (see re-) + pascere "to graze" (see pastor). The verb (intransitive) is from late 15c.