Meal
/miːl/noun
Food eaten at a regular time, or a serving of food.
Did you know?The word’s Germanic relatives show that a “meal” was originally an appointed time or occasion, which is why it still sounds like a scheduled ritual of nourishment.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*mel-
“to grind, crush, or measure”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*mǣlą
“measure, fixed time, occasion”
Old English
English
mǣl
“a measure, fixed time, occasion, or meal”
Middle English
English
mele
“a time for eating; a meal”
Modern English
English
meal
“food eaten at a regular time”