meal

Etymology 1

From Middle English mel, from Old English mǣl (“measure, time, occasion, set time, time for eating, meal”), from Proto-West Germanic *māl, from Proto-Germanic *mēlą, from Proto-Indo-European *meh₁- (“to measure”). Cognate with West Frisian miel, Dutch maal (“meal, time, occurrence”), German Mal (“time”), Mahl (“meal”), Norwegian Bokmål mål (“meal”), Swedish mål (“meal”); and (from Proto-Indo-European) with Ancient Greek μέτρον (métron, “measure”), Latin mensus, Russian ме́ра (méra, “measure”), Lithuanian mẽtas. Related to Old English mǣþ (“measure, degree, proportion”).

noun

1. (countable) Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity (as opposed to a snack).
   Breakfast is the morning meal, lunch is the noon meal, and dinner, or supper, is the evening meal.
   c1450, Secreta Secretorumː He that will cast meal upon meal is not able to have (a) long life.
   c1500, The King and the Hermitː I have been there and taken deal / And have had many (a) merry meal.
   1535?, Dyfference Astronː But above all things beware that thou eat not till thou feel thy stomach empty and that it hath made good digestion of the first meal.
   1569, Fenton, Wondersː Besides he was so fantastical and unruly in his appetites, that he used no common meats at his meals, but was fed with the combs of cocks, the tongues of peahens.
   1606, Bodleyː Sir, I was thrice at Lamhith, to have dined with the Archeb since your departure, and still he was to dine, at the Court or with some Bishop. But I must and will find him as soon as I may: and rather at a meal, then otherwise, because I would have means, to participate at large, about our Collation.
   1640, Richard Brathwait, Ar't asleep Husband? A BOULSTER LECTURE, Stored with all variety of witty Jests, merry Tales, and other pleasant passages; extracted from the choycest Flowers of Phi∣losophy, Poesy, ancient and moderne Historyː Give me but so many meals, and thou shalt find me one of the strongest Turkish males that ever English gennet bore.
   1796, Robert Bage, Hermsprong: or, Man As He Is Notː This letter was written whilst my hostess of the George was preparing the last meal I ever was to eat.
   1835, Edgar Allan Poe, The Unparalleled Adventure of One Hans Pfaallː Puss, who seemed in a great measure recovered from her illness, now made a hearty meal of the dead bird, and then went to sleep with much apparent satisfaction.
   1982, Steven King, The Dark Tower: The Gunslingerː After the meal, he rinsed the cans from which they had eaten (marveling again at his own water extravagance), and when he turned around, Jake was asleep again.
   Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal. 2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4
   2016, Melissa Clark, Consider This Permission to Eat Burrata for Dinner in The New York Timesː In this recipe, I go even further, adding a robust salad to turn a lone cheese into a satisfying summer meal.
2. (countable) Food served or eaten as a repast.
   a1450, The Macro Playsː If thou wilt fare well at meat and meal, come and follow me.
   1855, Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grassː This is the meal pleasantly set ... . this is the meat and drink for natural hunger. It is for the wicked just the same as the righteous.
   Last spring, the periodical cicadas emerged across eastern North America. Their vast numbers and short above-ground life spans inspired awe and irritation in humans—and made for good meals for birds and small mammals. 2012 March-April, Anna Lena Phillips, “Sneaky Silk Moths”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 172
3. (uncountable, informal) A break taken by a police officer in order to eat.
   They [tape recorders] can be turned off while officers are on meal or in the car to protect their private conversations […] 1994, Brooklyn Barrister, volume 46, page 13
   I was on meal when I heard the call on the radio and recognized the address. What the hell? 2019, R. J. Noonan, In the Line of Fire
4. (obsolete) A time or an occasion.
   Ye wolde wepe at every mele; But for my sone wepe ye never a dele. You would weep at every meal, but for my son you never weep a deal. The Lamentation of the Virgin Mary (MS. Cantab., Ff. ii., 38, fol. 47.), in: 1847, Thomas Wright (editor), The Chester Plays: A Collection of Mysteries founded upon scriptural Subjects, and formerly represented by the Trades of Chester at Whitsuntide, vol. II, p. 208f.
   […] by occasion whereoff thai woll than at every mele groche with the kinge […] […] by occasion whereof they will, then at every meal, grouch with the king […] a1400?-a1470?, in: 1999/2006, The Governance of England: Otherwise called The Difference between an Absolute and a Limited Monarchy. By Sir John Fortescue. A Revised Text edited with Introduction, Notes, and Appendices by Charles Plummer, p. 132
   a1450, Henry Lovelich, The History of the Holy Grailː Which was to them a sorry meal.
   a1450, Henry Lovelich, Merlinː Also soon as the dragons together feal, betwixt them shall begin a sorry meal.
   a1450, The York Playsː What mean ye.. to make mourning at ilk a meal?
   1481, William Caxton, Reynard the Foxː I shall do late you have so much that ten of you should not eat it at one meal.
   a1500, Alexander-Cassamus Fragmentː Of all the day throughout, keep I no better meal than on her to think.
   c1500, In A Chyrchː Thou couth well weep at every meal.

Etymology 2

From Middle English mele, from Old English melu (“meal, flour”), from Proto-West Germanic *melu, from Proto-Germanic *melwą (“meal, flour”), from Proto-Indo-European *melh₂- (“to grind, mill”). Cognates Cognate with West Frisian moal, Dutch meel, German Mehl, Albanian miell, Proto-Slavic *melvo (“grain to be ground”) (Bulgarian мливо (mlivo)), Dutch malen (“to grind”), German mahlen (“to grind”), Old Irish melim (“I grind”), Latin molō (“I grind”), Tocharian A/B malywët (“you press”)/melye (“they tread on”), Lithuanian málti, Old Church Slavonic млѣти (mlěti), Ancient Greek μύλη (múlē, “mill”). More at mill.

noun

1. The coarse-ground edible part of various grains often used to feed animals; flour or a coarser blend than flour.
   Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal. 2013 July-August, Henry Petroski, “Geothermal Energy”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 4

verb

1. (intransitive, obsolete) To yield or be plentiful in meal.
   Of course the yield of grain was small, but much greater than could have been expected; and, the ears being well filled, it mealed well. The pastures were burnt up, so that there was nothing left for the cattle to eat. 1876, Notes and Queries, page 73

Etymology 3

Variation of mole (compare Scots mail), from Middle English mole, mool, from Old English māl, mǣl (“spot, mark, blemish”), from Proto-Germanic *mailą (“wrinkle, spot”), from Proto-Indo-European *mey- (“to soil”). More at mole.

noun

1. (UK dialectal) A speck or spot.
2. A part; a fragment; a portion.

verb

1. (transitive) To defile or taint.