noun · informal
meal
/miːl/MEAL
Band 4-5speakingtask2
an occasion when food is eaten; a set of food eaten at one time
Examples
“I usually have three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
“We shared a simple meal with our neighbours.”
“A balanced meal includes vegetables, protein and carbohydrates.”
Band 8 sentence
“For environmental and health reasons, I try to plan balanced meals rather than just grabbing snacks.”
Collocations
- have a meal
- main meal
- meal times
Word family
meal nounmealtime noun
Common mistakes
I usually eat many meal.→I usually eat many meals.
I had a breakfast this morning.→I had breakfast this morning.
Say it for a higher band
5food→6dish→7+meal
Synonyms
dish
food
Easily confused
dish
“She ordered a traditional dish from the menu.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Food & Cooking
Learn it with its set