1
: an act or the time of eating a portion of food to satisfy appetite
2
: the portion of food eaten at a meal
1
: the usually coarsely ground and unbolted seeds of a cereal grass or pulse
especially
: cornmeal
2
: a product resembling seed meal especially in particle size or texture
-meal
3 of 3adverb combining form
: by a (specified) portion or measure at a time
piecemeal
Examples of meal in a Sentence
Noun (1)
all she wants to do is sit quietly after the large Thanksgiving meal
Recent Examples on the Web
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2026
Girard's aunt made an Italian meal for them there.
—Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Her restaurant, the Prairie Hill Café, provided meals to neighbors whose homes or businesses were destroyed or heavily damaged.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 14 Feb. 2026
When Tulah opens later this year, stays will cost up to $2,700 per person per night, inclusive of all treatments and meals.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for meal
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Noun
For families This family-friendly resort offers a Kids For All Seasons program, family movie nights, kite-making activity, and more—plus complimentary kids’ menu meals for children ages five and under.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2026
Girard's aunt made an Italian meal for them there.
—Hannah Kirby, jsonline.com, 14 Feb. 2026
Her restaurant, the Prairie Hill Café, provided meals to neighbors whose homes or businesses were destroyed or heavily damaged.
—Michael Collins, USA Today, 14 Feb. 2026
When Tulah opens later this year, stays will cost up to $2,700 per person per night, inclusive of all treatments and meals.
—Mark Ellwood, Robb Report, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for meal
Cite this Entry
“Meal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meal. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
meal
1 of 2 noun1
: the food eaten or prepared for eating at one time
2
: the act or time of eating a meal
meal
2 of 2 noun1
: ground seeds of a cereal grass
especially
: cornmeal
2
: something like meal especially in texture
Etymology
Noun
Old English mæl "appointed time, meal"
Noun
Old English melu "ground grain"
Medical Definition
meal
noun
: the portion of food taken at one time to satisfy appetite
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