First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1meal
noun \ˈmēl\
Definition of MEAL
1
: an act or the time of eating a portion of food to satisfy appetite
2
: the portion of food eaten at a meal
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Origin of MEAL
Middle English meel appointed time, meal, from Old English mǣl; akin to Old High German māl time, Latin metiri to measure — more at measure
2meal
noun
Definition of 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
Origin of MEAL
Middle English mele, from Old English melu; akin to Old High German melo meal, Latin molere to grind, Greek mylē mill
First Known Use: before 12th century
MEAL Defined for Kids
1meal
noun \ˈmēl\
Definition of MEAL for Kids
1
: the food eaten or prepared for eating at one time
2
: the act or time of eating
2meal
noun
Definition of MEAL for Kids
: coarsely ground seeds of a cereal grass and especially of corn
Word History of MEAL
You might assume that the meal of “three meals a day” and the meal of “ground meal,” have a common origin, since both words have to do with food. Surprisingly, this is not the case. The meal of “ground meal” comes from Old English melu, a word akin to Latin molere, “to grind” and molina, “mill.” The meal of “three meals a day,” however, is from Old English mæl or mēl, “measure, appointed time, meal time.”
Medical Dictionary
meal
noun \ˈmē(ə)l\
Medical Definition of MEAL
: the portion of food taken at one time to satisfy appetite
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