Dinner is the main meal of the day, usually served in the early part of the evening.
She invited us to her house for dinner.
Would you like to stay and have dinner?
Enjoy your dinner.
...four-course dinners.
Synonyms: meal, evening meal, main meal, spread [informal] More Synonyms of dinner
2. See also TV dinner
3. variable noun
Any meal you eat in the middle of the day can be referred to as dinner.
meal
4. countable noun
A dinner is a formal social event at which a meal is served. It is held in the evening.
...a series of official lunches and dinners.
The Professional Cricketers' Association held its annual dinner in London.
Synonyms: banquet, feast, blowout [slang], repast More Synonyms of dinner
dinner in British English
(ˈdɪnə)
noun
1.
a meal taken in the evening
2.
a meal taken at midday, esp when it is the main meal of the day; lunch
3.
a.
a formal evening meal, as of a club, society, etc
b.
a public banquet in honour of someone or something
4.
a complete meal at a fixed price in a restaurant; table d'hôte
5. (modifier)
of, relating to, or used at dinner
dinner plate
dinner table
dinner hour
6. do like a dinner
Word origin
C13: from Old French disner; see dine
dinner in American English
(ˈdɪnər)
noun
1.
the main meal of the day, whether eaten in the evening or about noon
2.
a banquet in honor of some person or event
3.
a complete meal at a set price with no course omitted; table d'hôte
Word origin
ME diner < OFr disner, inf. used as n.: see dine
More idioms containing
dinner
a dog's dinner
be done like a dinner
Examples of 'dinner' in a sentence
dinner
Banish all talk of guilt from the dinner table.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
As festive as a school dinner.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Then it's back to the hotels for dinner and an early bed.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We've had lunch and dinner a lot of times together.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Of course, he was probably just getting us to eat all our dinner and tidy up without us realising it, but he made it fun.
The Sun (2017)
My school is by the sea and their school dinners are for me.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
On a par with hospital meals and school dinners?
The Sun (2012)
You soon realise why dinner is so early.
The Sun (2016)
For many people cheap fried chicken is a staple food for lunch and dinner.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They were waiting on the dinner table.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
We set about organising golf days and dinners.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Chancellor finds formal dinner parties too tense.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Mum worked as a school dinner lady.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Lunch was a microwave meal and dinner would be a curry.
The Sun (2015)
We decided on an early dinner in the brasserie.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Politics was a topic around the dinner table.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
We chat in the kitchen and during dinner about our day.
The Sun (2013)
His controversial campaign ten years ago did improve school dinners.
The Sun (2015)
We were eating dinner à deux in the apartment we had moved into after she married my stepfather.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
It was not unusual for him to disappear from formal banking dinners to be found at a local joint with journalists.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Meet up with friends for lunch, dinner or clubbing.
The Sun (2015)
The slim waist shows that he is not a four-course dinner man.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He always goes out to lunch and often dinner, too.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In the delectable but lightly plotted play, most of the action happens at the annual club dinner.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
No dinner in his honour.
The Sun (2010)
We give each other gifts, eat dinner at a nice restaurant, and return to my apartment for dessert.
Christianity Today (2000)
My husband and daughter are now eating home-cooked dinners and a lot of vegetables, which makes me feel good.
The Sun (2006)
This is just one question thrown up by the seating plan at the lord mayor's annual dinner for the bankers and merchants of the City last week.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Word lists with
dinner
meal
In other languages
dinner
British English: dinner /ˈdɪnə/ NOUN
Dinner is the main meal of the day, eaten in the evening.
She invited us to her house for dinner.
American English: dinner
Arabic: عَشَاء
Brazilian Portuguese: jantar
Chinese: 正餐
Croatian: večera
Czech: večeře
Danish: middag måltid
Dutch: diner
European Spanish: cena IngBrit
Finnish: päivällinen
French: dîner
German: Abendessen
Greek: δείπνο
Italian: cena
Japanese: ディナー
Korean: 정찬
Norwegian: middag
Polish: obiad
European Portuguese: jantar
Romanian: cină
Russian: обед
Latin American Spanish: cena
Swedish: middag
Thai: อาหารเย็น
Turkish: akşam yemeği
Ukrainian: обід
Vietnamese: bữa tối
All related terms of 'dinner'
TV dinner
A TV dinner is a complete meal that is sold in a single container. It can be heated up quickly and eaten from the container it is cooked in.
dinner bell
a bell which is rung to announce that dinner has been served
dinner duty
→ to be on dinner duty
dinner hour
lunch hour
dinner lady
a female cook or canteen worker in a school
dinner ring
a woman's ring set with a large stone or group of stones, worn on formal occasions
dinner roll
a small round piece of bread provided as a side dish as part of a meal
dinner suit
a dinner jacket and trousers , often worn with a bow tie at formal events
dinner dance
A dinner dance is a social event where a large number of people come to have dinner and to dance. Dinner dances are held in the evening at hotels , restaurants , and social clubs .
dinner dress
a dress, often long and having sleeves or a jacket , more elaborate than one designed for daytime wear but less formal than an evening gown
dinner jacket
A dinner jacket is a man's jacket, usually black, worn at formal social events.
dinner knife
a knife used for eating dinner
dinner knives
a knife used for eating dinner
dinner money
money given to school children to buy dinner at school
dinner party
A dinner party is a social event where a small group of people are invited to have dinner and spend the evening at someone's house .
dinner plate
a plate used for eating dinner
dinner table
You can refer to a table as the dinner table when it is being used for dinner.
dinner wagon
a small table on casters used for conveying food, drink, etc
school dinner
School dinners are midday meals provided for children at a school.
shore dinner
a meal that features a variety of seafood dishes
dinner service
A dinner service is a set of plates and dishes from which meals are eaten and served . It may also include cups and saucers .
dinner theater
a theatre at which dinner is included in the price of a ticket
dinner theatre
a form of entertainment at which a play is performed while the audience is served dinner
dinner trolley
a small table on casters used for conveying food, drink, etc
potluck dinner
a meal consisting of whatever food happens to be available without special preparation
a dog's dinner
a situation, event, or piece of work that is chaotic, badly organized , or very untidy
anniversary dinner
a dinner held to celebrate an event that occurred in some previous year
candlelight dinner
a meal for a couple which is illuminated by a candle or candles, esp in order to create a romantic mood
candlelit dinner
a meal for a couple which is illuminated by a candle or candles, esp in order to create a romantic mood
Christmas dinner
the main meal on Christmas day, eaten any time in the afternoon or evening
progressive dinner
a meal in which each course is served at the home of a different person
after-dinner drink
a drink such as port and brandy taken after dinner
dinner conversation
If you have a conversation with someone, you talk with them, usually in an informal situation.
do like a dinner
to do for, overpower , or outdo
after-dinner speaker
person paid to make an entertaining speech at a formal dinner
breakfast and dinner
Breakfast and dinner is a system of accommodations in a hotel or guest house, in which you pay for a room and breakfast and dinner the following day.
dinnertime
Dinnertime is the period of the day when most people have their dinner.
dog's dinner/breakfast
You describe something as a dog's breakfast or dog's dinner in order to express your disapproval of it, for example because it is very untidy , badly organized, or badly done.
like a dog's dinner
dressed smartly or ostentatiously
be done like a dinner
to be completely defeated , often unfairly, in a contest or competitive situation
New England boiled dinner
a dish consisting of meat, often corned beef , and whole potatoes , onions , carrots , cabbage , etc. cooked by boiling
to be on dinner duty
to be responsible for preparing an evening meal
carry-in
of or relating to a type of after-sales service in which the customer must take the product to the service provider for repair
tuxedo
A tuxedo is a black or white jacket worn mainly by men for formal social events .