Diner
/ˈdaɪnər/noun
A small, casual restaurant, often open long hours and serving simple meals.
Did you know?The restaurant sense of *diner* comes from a 19th-century American shortening of *dining car*, the railroad meal-car that helped turn eating into a public, mobile ritual.
Etymological Timeline
Late Old French
OF
disner
“to eat the first meal of the day; later, to dine”
Middle English
ME
dinen
“to eat a meal”
14th Century
English
diner
“one who dines; a person eating a meal”
19th Century
English
dining car
“a railroad car equipped for serving meals”
Late 19th Century
English
diner
“a dining car; later, a small restaurant”