meal
gb/mˈil/ us/mˈil/
A1
English
~ 1500
étkezés, dara, liszt, őrlemény
NOUN
A1
1
étkezés
B1
Usage pattern:
to have [a/an] [meal]
We usually have our main meal in the evening.
Általában este van a főétkezésünk.
That was the best meal I've had all week.
Egész héten ez volt a legjobb étkezésem.
She cooked a delicious meal for her guests.
Skipping meals can make you feel tired.
They enjoyed a meal together at the new restaurant.
Learner examples
I have three meals every day.
Naponta háromszor étkezem.
Lunch is my favorite meal.
Az ebéd a kedvenc étkezésem.
We eat our evening meal at six o’clock.
She made a big meal for her family.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'meal' with 'food'. 'Meal' is the event or occasion of eating, not the items themselves.
Meaning
an occasion when food is eaten
Collocations
eat a meal
|have a meal
|prepare a meal
|share a meal
|main meal
Synonyms
repast (More formal and less common; used mainly in written or literary contexts.)
|
dining (Refers more generally to the act of eating, often in a social or formal setting.)
Antonyms
fast (To deliberately not eat for a period of time, often for health or religious reasons.)
Themes
daily life
|food
|health
|daily_life
|food_drink
Definition
A time when you eat food, like breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
An occasion during the day when a person or group eats food, such as breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
NOUN
B1
2
The recipe calls for two cups of corn meal.
A recept szerint két csésze kukoricadarára van szükség.
Oat meal is often used in baking cookies.
A zablisztet gyakran használják kekszek sütéséhez.
Soy meal is an important ingredient in animal feed.
Learner examples
Corn meal is yellow.
A kukoricadara sárga.
We need meal to make bread.
Kenyérsütéshez lisztre van szükségünk.
Oat meal can be used in cakes.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'meal' with 'flour'. Meal can be coarser and not always wheat-based.
Meaning
powder from ground grain or seeds
Collocations
corn meal
|oat meal
|soy meal
Synonyms
flour (Usually refers to finely ground grain, especially wheat; 'meal' can be coarser.)
Themes
food
|cooking
|food_drink
|daily_life
Definition
Powder made from grains or seeds that people use to cook food.
Coarse or fine powder made by grinding grain, seeds, or other edible substances, used in cooking or baking.
Grammar
Dictionary form
meal
IPA
GB/mˈil/
US/mˈil/
Syllables & stress
meal (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (meal)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: meal
- Plural: meal, meals
Word family
Expressions
make a meal of [something]
1/mˈeɪk ə mˈil əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
idiom
informal
overcomplicate a simple task
To spend too much time or effort on something simple.
Examples
- He really made a meal of fixing that chair.
- Don't make a meal of it—just get it done.
meal ticket
1/mˈil tˈɪkɪt/
fixed phrase
voucher for a specific meal
A piece of paper or card you give to get a meal.
Examples
- Students must show their meal ticket at the cafeteria entrance.
- I bought a meal ticket before joining the lunch line.
square meal
1/skwˈɛɹ mˈil/
fixed phrase
a filling and balanced meal
A big and healthy meal that makes you full.
Examples
- After hiking all day, we were ready for a square meal.
- It's been ages since I had a real square meal.