meals and parts of meals

snack

snack [noun]

a small amount of food that is eaten between meals, or a very small meal

US /snæk/ 
UK /snæk/ 

خوراك‌ سبك‌

مثال: 

I had a huge lunch, so I'll only need a snack for dinner.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

snack

 noun
a small quick meal:
We had a snack on the train.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

snack

I. snack1 /snæk/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
a small amount of food that is eaten between main meals or instead of a meal:
I grabbed a quick snack.
Drinks and light snacks are served at the bar.
snack foods like crisps and peanuts
• • •
THESAURUS
■ types of meal
breakfast a meal that you eat in the morning
brunch a meal that you eat in the late morning, instead of breakfast or lunch
lunch a meal that you eat in the middle of the day
tea British English a meal that you eat in the afternoon or evening
dinner the main meal of the day, which most people eat in the evening
supper a small meal that you eat in the evening, in British English; the main meal that you eat in the evening, in American English
picnic a meal that you eat outdoors, consisting of food that you cooked or prepared earlier
barbecue a meal that you cook outdoors over hot coals or wood and eat outdoors
snack a small amount of food that is eaten between main meals or instead of a meal
side dish food eaten with the main course, such as vegetables: I’ll have the salad as a side dish.
course one of the separate parts of a meal, such as the starter or the dessert: a three-course meal

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

snack

snack [snack snacks snacked snacking] noun, verb   [snæk]    [snæk] 

 

noun
1. (informal) a small meal or amount of food, usually eaten in a hurry
a mid-morning snack
I only have time for a snack at lunchtime.
• Do you serve bar snacks?

• a snack lunch

2. (AustralE, informal) a thing that is easy to do
It'll be a snack.  
Word Origin:
Middle English (originally in the sense ‘snap, bite’): from Middle Dutch snac(k), from snacken ‘to bite’, variant of snappen. Senses relating to food date from the late 17th cent.  
Thesaurus:
snack noun C
There's just time for a quick snack.
something to eatrefreshments
(a) light snack/refreshments
have/grab a snack/something to eat
stop for a snack/something to eat/refreshments 
Example Bank:
I fixed myself a light snack.
I got a drink from the hotel snack machine.
Most office staff prefer a snack lunch to a sit-down meal.
Order bar snacks with your drinks.
We stopped at a service station for a quick snack.
We stopped for a quick snack.
• I only have time for a quick snack at lunchtime.

• I think it's time for a mid-morning snack.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

snack / snæk / noun [ C ]

A2 a small amount of food that is eaten between meals, or a very small meal:

I had a huge lunch, so I'll only need a snack for dinner.

Fresh or dried fruit makes an ideal snack.

Many snack foods are high in salt, sugar, and fat.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

snack

[snæ_k]
 snacks, snacking, snacked
 1) N-COUNT A snack is a simple meal that is quick to cook and to eat.
  Lunch was a snack in the fields.
 2) N-COUNT A snack is something such as a chocolate bar that you eat between meals.
  Do you eat sweets, cakes or sugary snacks?.
 3) VERB If you snack, you eat snacks between meals.
  [V on n] Instead of snacking on crisps and chocolate, nibble on celery or carrot...
  She would improve her diet if she ate less fried food and snacked less.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

1snack /ˈsnæk/ noun, pl snacks [count] : a small amount of food eaten between meals
• He had a snack of chips and dip.
• between-meal snacks
• I didn't have time for lunch so I just grabbed a quick/light snack.
• peanuts, potato chips, and other snack foods

main course

main course [noun]

the largest or most important part of a meal in which there are different parts served separately

US /ˌmeɪn ˈkɔːrs/ 
UK /ˌmeɪn ˈkɔːs/ 
مثال: 

I had salmon for my main course.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

main ˈ course noun [ C ]

A2 the largest or most important part of a meal in which there are different parts served separately:

I had salmon for my main course.

entrée

entrée [noun] (FOOD)

US the main dish of a meal

UK at very formal meals, a small dish served just before the main part

US /ˈɑːn.treɪ/ 
UK /ˈɒn.treɪ/ 

(رسمی) غذای اصلی

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

entrée

entrée /ˈɒntreɪ $ ˈɑːn-/ BrE AmE noun
[Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: ⇨ ↑entry]
1. [countable] the main dish of a meal, or a dish served before the main course – used in restaurants or on formal occasions:
an entrée of roast duck
2. [uncountable and countable] formal the right or freedom to enter a place or to join a social group
entrée to/into
My family name gave me an entrée into upper class Boston society.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

entrée

en·trée [entrée entrées]   [ˈɒntreɪ]    [ˈɑːntreɪ]  noun (from French)

1. countable (in a restaurant or at a formal meal) the main dish of the meal or a dish served before the main course

2. uncountable, countable ~ (into/to sth) (formal) the right or ability to enter a social group or institution

Her wealth and reputation gave her an entrée into upper-class circles.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

entrée / ˈɒn.treɪ /   / ˈɑːn- / noun (FOOD)

[ C ] US the main dish of a meal [ C ] UK at very formal meals, a small dish served just before the main part

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

entrée

[ɒ̱ntreɪ]
 entrées
 also entree
 1) N-COUNT: oft N into n If you have an entrée to a social group, you are accepted and made to feel welcome by them.
  She had an entree into the city's cultivated society.
 2) N-COUNT At restaurants or formal dinners, the entrée is the main course, or sometimes a dish before the main course.
  Dinner features a hot entrée of chicken, veal, or lamb.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

entree

en·trée or en·tree /ˈɑːnˌtreɪ/ noun, pl -trées or -trees
1 [count] : the main dish of a meal especially in a restaurant
• We had steak as an entrée.
2 formal
a [count] : the act or manner of entering something
• She made a graceful entrée [=entrance] into the ballroom.
• His entrée [=entry] into the restaurant business was unexpected.
b [noncount] : the right to enter something
• His family connections have given him entrée [=entry] into the most exclusive clubs in the city.

appetizer

appetizer [noun]

a small amount of food eaten before a meal

US /ˈæp.ə.taɪ.zɚ/ 
UK /ˈæp.ə.taɪ.zər/ 

پیش غذا

مثال: 

At 6.30 everyone gathered for drinks and appetizers in the lounge.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

appetizer

 noun American English for starter

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

appetizer

appetizer BrE AmE (also appetiser British English) /ˈæpətaɪzə, ˈæpɪtaɪzə $ -ər/ noun [countable]
a small dish that you eat at the beginning of a meal
 

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

appetizer

ap·pet·izer (BrE also -iser) [appetizer appetizers]   [ˈæpɪtaɪzə(r)]    [ˈæpɪtaɪzər]  noun
a small amount of food or a drink that you have before a meal
Some green olives make a simple appetizer.  
Example Bank:

This wine should be served chilled as an appetizer.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

appetizer ( UK usually appetiser ) / ˈæp.ɪ.taɪ.zə r /   / -zɚ / noun [ C ]

a small amount of food eaten before a meal:

At 6.30 everyone gathered for drinks and appetizers in the lounge.

mainly US the first part of a meal:

The average cost of a full three-course meal - appetizer, main course, and dessert - is about $45.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

appetizer

[æ̱pɪtaɪzə(r)]
 appetizers
 N-COUNT
 An appetizer is the first course of a meal. It consists of a small amount of food.
  Seafood soup is a good appetizer.(in BRIT, also use appetiser)

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

appetizer

ap·pe·tiz·er also Brit ap·pe·tis·er /ˈæpəˌtaɪzɚ/ noun, pl -ers [count] : a small dish of food served before the main part of a meal

breakfast

breakfast [noun]

a meal eaten in the morning as the first meal of the day

US /ˈbrek.fəst/ 
UK /ˈbrek.fəst/ 
Breakfast - صبحانه

صبحانه

مثال: 

Come on, ​wake up - breakfast is ​ready.

عجله کن، بیدار شو، صبحانه آماده است.

 

a meal eaten in the morning as the first meal of the day

Breakfast - صبحانه
معادل فارسی: 

صبحانه

مثال انگلیسی: 

Come on, ​wake up - breakfast is ​ready.

عجله کن، بیدار شو، صبحانه آماده است.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

breakfast

 noun
the first meal of the day:
I had breakfast at seven o'clock.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

breakfast

breakfast S2 W2 /ˈbrekfəst/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
[Date: 1400-1500; Origin: break + ↑fast4]
the meal you have in the morning:
We had bacon and eggs for breakfast.
I never eat breakfast.
After a hearty breakfast (=large breakfast), we set out for a hike.
a light breakfast (=small breakfast)
a working breakfast (=a breakfast at which you talk about business)
—breakfast verb [intransitive]
⇨ ↑bed and breakfast, ↑continental breakfast, ↑English breakfast, ⇨ wedding breakfast at ↑wedding(1), ⇨ make a dog’s breakfast of something at ↑dog1(8)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
have/eat breakfast Paul got up, washed and had breakfast.
have something for breakfast What do you usually have for breakfast?
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + breakfast
a big breakfast Most people don’t eat a big breakfast nowadays.
a good/proper breakfast (=big and healthy) I think kids need a good breakfast before they go to school.
a hearty breakfast written (=big) The price includes a hearty breakfast.
a small/light breakfast She ate a light breakfast of toast and coffee.
an English/a full breakfast (=a big breakfast with bacon, egg, toast etc - used especially in hotels) A lot of people like to have an English breakfast on holiday.
a cooked/fried breakfast (=bacon, egg, toast etc) Do you feel like having a cooked breakfast?
a buffet breakfast (=one in a hotel, where you serve yourself) A buffet breakfast is served in the hotel's elegant dining room.
a continental breakfast (=coffee and bread with butter and jam) Continental breakfast can be served in your room.
a quick/hasty/hurried breakfast I grabbed a quick breakfast and ran to the bus stop.
a long/leisurely breakfast (=not hurried) On Sunday mornings I like to have a leisurely breakfast.
an early/late breakfast We had an early breakfast and left before 7.30.
a working breakfast (=at which you talk about business) She suggested we meet at 8.30 for a working breakfast.
■ breakfast + NOUN
the breakfast dishes Did you put the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher?
the breakfast things (=dishes, packets etc) Dad was clearing the breakfast things away.
a breakfast table/room The house has a large kitchen and a breakfast room.
breakfast cereal Many breakfast cereals are high in sugar.
breakfast time I don’t like talking at breakfast time.
breakfast television/TV (=programmes on television in the early morning) The children all eat their cereal in front of breakfast television.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ types of meal
breakfast a meal that you eat in the morning
brunch a meal that you eat in the late morning, instead of breakfast or lunch
lunch a meal that you eat in the middle of the day
tea British English a meal that you eat in the afternoon or evening
dinner the main meal of the day, which most people eat in the evening
supper a small meal that you eat in the evening, in British English; the main meal that you eat in the evening, in American English
picnic a meal that you eat outdoors, consisting of food that you cooked or prepared earlier
barbecue a meal that you cook outdoors over hot coals or wood and eat outdoors
snack a small amount of food that is eaten between main meals or instead of a meal
side dish food eaten with the main course, such as vegetables: I’ll have the salad as a side dish.
course one of the separate parts of a meal, such as the starter or the dessert: a three-course meal

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

breakfast

break·fast [breakfast breakfasts breakfasted breakfasting] noun, verb   [ˈbrekfəst]    [ˈbrekfəst] 

noun countable, uncountable
the first meal of the day
a big/hearty/light breakfast
(especially BrE) a cooked breakfast
Do you want bacon and eggs for breakfast?
They were having breakfast when I arrived.
She doesn't eat much breakfast.
see also  bed and breakfast, continental breakfast, English breakfast, power breakfast, wedding breakfast, see a dog's breakfast/dinner at  dog  n.  
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from the verb break  + the verb fast.  
Culture:
meals
Americans and British people generally eat three meals a day though the names vary according to people’s lifestyles and where they live.
The first meal of the day is breakfast. The traditional full English breakfast served in many British hotels may include fruit juice, cereal, bacon and eggs, often with sausages and tomatoes, toast and marmalade, and tea or coffee. Few people have time to prepare a cooked breakfast at home and most have only cereal and/or toast with tea or coffee. Others buy coffee and a pastry on their way to work.
The traditional American breakfast includes eggs, some kind of meat and toast. Eggs may be fried, ‘over easy’, ‘over hard’ or ‘sunny side up’, or boiled, poached or in an omelette (= beaten together and fried). The meat may be bacon or sausage. People who do not have time for a large meal have toast or cereal and coffee. It is common for Americans to eat breakfast in a restaurant. On Saturday and Sunday many people eat brunch late in the morning. This consists of both breakfast and lunch dishes, including pancakes and waffles (= types of cooked batter) that are eaten with butter and maple syrup.
Lunch, which is eaten any time after midday, is the main meal of the day for some British people, though people out at work may have only sandwiches. Some people also refer to the midday meal as dinner. Most workers are allowed about an hour off work for it, called the lunch hour, and many also go shopping. Many schools offer a cooked lunch (school lunch or school dinner), though some students take a packed lunch of sandwiches, fruit, etc. Sunday lunch is special and is, for many families, the biggest meal of the week, consisting traditionally of roast meat and vegetables and a sweet course. In the US lunch is usually a quick meal, eaten around midday. Many workers have a half-hour break for lunch, and buy a sandwich from near their place of work. Business people may sometimes eat a larger lunch and use the time to discuss business.
The main meal of the day for most people is the evening meal, called supper, tea or dinner. It is usually a cooked meal with meat or fish or a salad, followed by a sweet course. In Britain younger children may have tea when they get home from school. Tea, meaning a main meal for adults, is the word used in some parts of Britain especially when the evening meal is eaten early. Dinner sounds more formal than supper, and guests generally receive invitations to ‘dinner’ rather than to ‘supper’. In the US the evening meal is called dinner and is usually eaten around 6 or 6.30 p.m. In many families, both in Britain and in the US, family members eat at different times and rarely sit down at the table together.
Many people also eat snacks between meals. Most have tea or coffee at mid-morning, often called coffee time or the coffee break. In Britain in the past this was sometimes also called elevenses. In the afternoon many British people have a tea break. Some hotels serve afternoon tea which consists of tea or coffee and a choice of sandwiches and cakes. When on holiday/vacation people sometimes have a cream tea of scones, jam and cream. In addition many people eat chocolate bars, biscuits (AmE cookies) or crisps (AmE chips). Some British people have a snack, sometimes called supper, consisting of a milk drink and a biscuit before they go to bed. In the US children often have milk and cookies after school. 
Example Bank:
He treated his wife to breakfast in bed on her birthday.
Low-fat cheeses and yogurt are good breakfast foods.
Would you clear away the breakfast things?
a full English breakfast of cereal, bacon and eggs and toast
Do you want bacon and eggs for breakfast?
I always have a cooked breakfast.
I'm going to have a nice leisurely breakfast tomorrow.
• She doesn't eat much breakfast.

• The price per person includes a full English breakfast.

verb intransitive ~ (on sth) (formal)
to eat breakfast
 
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from the verb break  + the verb fast.  
Example Bank:
• Many of the hotel's guests had already breakfasted and departed.

• They breakfasted on coffee and hot rolls.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

breakfast / ˈbrek.fəst / noun [ C or U ]

A1 a meal eaten in the morning as the first meal of the day:

What do you want for breakfast?

Jane never eats breakfast.

She arrived shortly after breakfast.

Breakfast is served in the dining room from 8.30 till 10.00.

I love to eat breakfast in bed on Saturdays.

© Cambridge University Press 2013

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

breakfast

/brekfəst/
(breakfasts, breakfasting, breakfasted)

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.

1.
Breakfast is the first meal of the day. It is usually eaten in the early part of the morning.
What’s for breakfast?
...breakfast cereal.
N-VAR
see also bed and breakfast, continental breakfast, English breakfast

2.
When you breakfast, you have breakfast. (FORMAL)
All the ladies breakfasted in their rooms.
VERB: V adv/prep

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

1break·fast /ˈbrɛkfəst/ noun, pl -fasts : the first meal of the day

[count]

• a big/good/hearty breakfast
• a working/business breakfast [=a breakfast during which you talk with someone about business matters]
• (Brit) a cooked breakfast [=a breakfast that includes cooked foods, such as eggs and meat]

[noncount]

• I had pancakes for breakfast.
• Did you have/eat breakfast before you left?
• We relaxed/chatted/dawdled over breakfast.
- often used before another noun
breakfast cereals
• They sat at the breakfast table.
- see also bed-and-breakfast, continental breakfast
a dog's breakfast
- see 1dog

dinner

dinner [noun]

The main meal of the day, eaten in the middle of the day or the evening

US /ˈdɪn.ɚ/ 
UK /ˈdɪn.ər/ 
dinner - شام

شام

مثال: 

You can ​cook dinner ​tonight because I did it last ​night.

تو می توانی امشب شام بپزی چون دیشم من غذا پختم.

The main meal of the day, eaten in the middle of the day or the evening

dinner - شام
معادل فارسی: 

شام

مثال انگلیسی: 

You can ​cook dinner ​tonight because I did it last ​night.

تو می توانی امشب شام بپزی چون دیشم من غذا پختم.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

dinner

 noun
the largest meal of the day. You have dinner in the evening, or sometimes in the middle of the day:
What time do you usually have dinner?
What's for dinner?

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

dinner

dinner S1 W2 /ˈdɪnə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: diner, from diner 'to eat'; ⇨ ↑dine]
1. [uncountable and countable] the main meal of the day, eaten in the middle of the day or the evening:
What time do you usually have dinner?
We’re having fish for dinner tonight.
What's for dinner?
2. [countable] a formal occasion when an evening meal is eaten, often to celebrate something:
the Club’s annual dinner
dog’s dinner at ↑dog1(9), ⇨ more something than you’ve had hot dinners at ↑hot1(30)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
have/eat dinner Why don't you come and have dinner with us?
make/cook dinner I offered to cook dinner.
have something for dinner I thought we might have pasta for dinner tonight.
have somebody for/to dinner We're having a few friends round to dinner.
ask/invite somebody to dinner Let's ask Kate and Mike to dinner.
come for/to dinner Mark is coming over for dinner.
go out for/to dinner (=go and eat in a restaurant) Would you like to go out for dinner on Saturday?
serve dinner (=start giving people food) Dinner is served between 7 and 11 pm in the hotel restaurant.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + dinner
a three-course/four-course etc dinner The cost of the hotel includes a three-course dinner.
Sunday/Christmas/Thanksgiving dinner (=a special meal eaten on Sunday etc) We usually have a walk after Christmas dinner.
a romantic dinner (=for two people in a romantic relationship) Clive and Denise were enjoying a romantic dinner for two in a quiet French restaurant.
a candle-lit dinner (=with only candles for lighting) Chris treated his girlfriend to a candle-lit dinner.
a leisurely dinner (=not hurried) I enjoy having a leisurely dinner with some friends at the weekend.
a black-tie dinner (=where people wear special formal clothes) He was invited to a black-tie dinner at one of the Oxford colleges.
a slap-up dinner British English informal (=with a lot of good food) Mum always makes a slap-up dinner for me when I go home.
school dinners British English (=meals provided at school in the middle of the day) School dinners are served in the canteen.
TV dinners (=meals that you eat while watching TV) TV dinners in aluminium containers can be found in the freezer departments of many supermarkets.
■ dinner + NOUN
a dinner party (=when someone's friends are invited for a special evening meal) We are having a dinner party on Saturday.
a dinner guest The dinner guests began arriving at about seven o'clock.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ types of meal
breakfast a meal that you eat in the morning
brunch a meal that you eat in the late morning, instead of breakfast or lunch
lunch a meal that you eat in the middle of the day
tea British English a meal that you eat in the afternoon or evening
dinner the main meal of the day, which most people eat in the evening
supper a small meal that you eat in the evening, in British English; the main meal that you eat in the evening, in American English
picnic a meal that you eat outdoors, consisting of food that you cooked or prepared earlier
barbecue a meal that you cook outdoors over hot coals or wood and eat outdoors
snack a small amount of food that is eaten between main meals or instead of a meal
side dish food eaten with the main course, such as vegetables: I’ll have the salad as a side dish.
course one of the separate parts of a meal, such as the starter or the dessert: a three-course meal
 

dinner table

ˈdinner ˌtable BrE AmE noun
the dinner table
a) an occasion when people are eating dinner together:
It wasn’t a very suitable conversation for the dinner table.
b) the table at which people eat dinner
⇨ ↑dining table
 

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

dinner

din·ner [dinner dinners]   [ˈdɪnə(r)]    [ˈdɪnər]  noun
1. uncountable, countable the main meal of the day, eaten either in the middle of the day or in the evening
It's time for dinner.
When do you have dinner?
What time do you serve dinner?
Let's invite them to dinner tomorrow.
What shall we have for dinner tonight?
It's your turn to cook dinner.
She didn't eat much dinner.
I never eat a big dinner.
Christmas dinner
a three-course dinner
I'd like to take you out to dinner tonight.

(BrE) school dinners (= meals provided at school in the middle of the day)

2. countable a large formal social gathering at which dinner is eaten
The club's annual dinner will be held on 3 June.
see also  dinner party
more at a dog's breakfast/dinner at  dog  n.
Idiom: done like a dinner  
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French disner (infinitive used as a noun), probably from desjëuner ‘to break fast’, from des- (expressing reversal) + jëun ‘fasting’.  
Culture:
meals
Americans and British people generally eat three meals a day though the names vary according to people’s lifestyles and where they live.
The first meal of the day is breakfast. The traditional full English breakfast served in many British hotels may include fruit juice, cereal, bacon and eggs, often with sausages and tomatoes, toast and marmalade, and tea or coffee. Few people have time to prepare a cooked breakfast at home and most have only cereal and/or toast with tea or coffee. Others buy coffee and a pastry on their way to work.
The traditional American breakfast includes eggs, some kind of meat and toast. Eggs may be fried, ‘over easy’, ‘over hard’ or ‘sunny side up’, or boiled, poached or in an omelette (= beaten together and fried). The meat may be bacon or sausage. People who do not have time for a large meal have toast or cereal and coffee. It is common for Americans to eat breakfast in a restaurant. On Saturday and Sunday many people eat brunch late in the morning. This consists of both breakfast and lunch dishes, including pancakes and waffles (= types of cooked batter) that are eaten with butter and maple syrup.
Lunch, which is eaten any time after midday, is the main meal of the day for some British people, though people out at work may have only sandwiches. Some people also refer to the midday meal as dinner. Most workers are allowed about an hour off work for it, called the lunch hour, and many also go shopping. Many schools offer a cooked lunch (school lunch or school dinner), though some students take a packed lunch of sandwiches, fruit, etc. Sunday lunch is special and is, for many families, the biggest meal of the week, consisting traditionally of roast meat and vegetables and a sweet course. In the US lunch is usually a quick meal, eaten around midday. Many workers have a half-hour break for lunch, and buy a sandwich from near their place of work. Business people may sometimes eat a larger lunch and use the time to discuss business.
The main meal of the day for most people is the evening meal, called supper, tea or dinner. It is usually a cooked meal with meat or fish or a salad, followed by a sweet course. In Britain younger children may have tea when they get home from school. Tea, meaning a main meal for adults, is the word used in some parts of Britain especially when the evening meal is eaten early. Dinner sounds more formal than supper, and guests generally receive invitations to ‘dinner’ rather than to ‘supper’. In the US the evening meal is called dinner and is usually eaten around 6 or 6.30 p.m. In many families, both in Britain and in the US, family members eat at different times and rarely sit down at the table together.
Many people also eat snacks between meals. Most have tea or coffee at mid-morning, often called coffee time or the coffee break. In Britain in the past this was sometimes also called elevenses. In the afternoon many British people have a tea break. Some hotels serve afternoon tea which consists of tea or coffee and a choice of sandwiches and cakes. When on holiday/vacation people sometimes have a cream tea of scones, jam and cream. In addition many people eat chocolate bars, biscuits (AmE cookies) or crisps (AmE chips). Some British people have a snack, sometimes called supper, consisting of a milk drink and a biscuit before they go to bed. In the US children often have milk and cookies after school. 
Thesaurus:
dinner noun U, C
They invited us to dinner.
lunchsuppermealbanquetfeast|BrE tea|formal luncheon
have/invite sb for/to dinner/lunch/supper/a meal/banquet/feast/tea/luncheon
eat/serve dinner/lunch/supper/a meal/tea/luncheon
get dinner/lunch/supper/tea/a meal
Which word? A main or formal meal eaten in the evening is usually called dinner. Lunch is eaten in the middle of the day; in Britain some people call this dinner if it is the main meal of the day. Tea is usually a light afternoon meal with a cup of tea, but it can also refer to an evening meal, especially one for children. Supper is an informal evening meal or a light meal before bedtime.  
Collocations:
Restaurants
Eating out
eat (lunch/dinner)/dine/meet at/in a restaurant
go (out)/take sb (out) for lunch/dinner/a meal
have a meal with sb
make/have a reservation (in/under the name of Yamada)
reserve/ (especially BrE) book a table for six
ask for/request a table for two/a table by the window
In the restaurant
wait to be seated
show sb to their table
sit in the corner/by the window/at the bar/at the counter
hand sb/give sb the menu/wine list
open/read/study/peruse the menu
the restaurant has a three-course set menu/a children's menu/an extensive wine list
taste/sample/try the wine
the waiter takes your order
order/choose/have the soup of the day/one of the specials/the house (BrE) speciality/(especially NAmE) specialty
serve/finish the first course/the starter/the main course/dessert/coffee
complain about the food/the service/your meal
enjoy your meal
Paying
pay/ask for (especially BrE) the bill/(NAmE) the check
pay for/treat sb to dinner/lunch/the meal
service is (not) included
give sb/leave (sb) a tip 
More About:
meals
People use the words dinner, lunch, supper and tea in different ways depending on which English-speaking country they come from. In Britain it may also depend on which part of the country or which social class a person comes from.
A meal eaten in the middle of the day is usually called lunch. If it is the main meal of the day it may also be called dinner in BrE, especially in the north of the country.
A main meal eaten in the evening is usually called dinner, especially if it is a formal meal. Supper is also an evening meal, but more informal than dinner and usually eaten at home. It can also be a late meal or something to eat and drink before going to bed.
In BrE, tea is a light meal in the afternoon with sandwiches, cakes, etc. and a cup of tea: a cream tea. It can also be a main meal eaten early in the evening, especially by children: What time do the kids have their tea?
As a general rule, if dinner is the word someone uses for the meal in the middle of the day, they probably call the meal in the evening tea or supper. If they call the meal in the middle of the day lunch, they probably call the meal in the evening dinner.
Brunch, a combination of breakfast and lunch, is becoming more common, especially as a meal where your guests serve themselves. 
Example Bank:
A gala dinner was held to celebrate the world premiere of the movie.
A state dinner was held in honour of the visiting Japanese premier.
Are we expected to dress for dinner?
I always forgot to take my dinner money to school.
My old school is giving a fund-raising dinner
The club's annual dinner is this week.
The extensive dinner menu includes Russian delicacies.
The former Olympic champion was invited to speak at a charity dinner.
The school dinner menu always includes a balance of food types.
There was never much conversation at the dinner table in my family.
They invited three couples to a dinner party at their house.
We attended the formal reunion dinner.
We didn't wash up the dinner things until the morning after.
We're going to attend a formal dinner in aid of cancer research.
a bone-china dinner service
the society's annual dinner dance
Have you had dinner yet?
I used to hate school dinners.
I'd like to take you out to dinner tonight.
It's time for dinner.
It's your turn to get dinner.
Let's invite them to dinner.
She didn't eat much dinner.
The club's annual dinner will be held on the 4th of June.

The evening includes a three-course dinner with wine.

dinner table

ˈdinner table f91 [dinner table dinner tables]       noun (often the dinner table) usually singular
the table at which people are eating dinner; an occasion when people are eating together
conversation at the dinner table
The dinner table was laden with crystal and silver.

compare  dining table

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

dinner / ˈdɪn.ə r /   / -ɚ / noun

A1 [ C or U ] the main meal of the day, usually the meal you eat in the evening but sometimes, in Britain, the meal eaten in the middle of the day:

We were just having (our) dinner.

We had some friends round for dinner on Saturday.

a romantic candlelit dinner

→  Compare lunch noun

[ C usually singular ] a formal social occasion in the evening at which a meal is served:

They held a dinner to celebrate his retirement.

a charity/society dinner

© Cambridge University Press 2013

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

dinner

/dɪnə(r)/
(dinners)

Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.

1.
Dinner is the main meal of the day, usually served in the early part of the evening.
She invited us to her house for dinner...
Would you like to stay and have dinner?...
N-VAR
see also TV dinner

2.
Any meal you eat in the middle of the day can be referred to as dinner.
N-VAR

3.
A dinner is a formal social event at which a meal is served. It is held in the evening.
...a series of official lunches and dinners...
N-COUNT
 

dinner table

also dinner-table
(dinner tables)

You can refer to a table as the dinner table when it is being used for dinner. (BRIT)
Sam was left at the dinner table with Peg.

N-COUNT: usu sing, usu the/poss N

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary: 

dinner

din·ner /ˈdɪnɚ/ noun, pl -ners
1 : the main meal of the day

[count]

• We had many pleasant dinners together.
• a steak/lobster dinner

[noncount]

• What's for dinner?
• They had dinner early.
• We're planning to ask them to dinner soon.
Dinner is served. [=dinner is ready; it's time to come to the table for dinner]
- often used before another noun
dinner guests
dinner rolls
• an enjoyable dinner companion
• My new boyfriend and I had a dinner date [=a date to eat dinner together] last night.
• She hosted a dinner party [=a party at which dinner is served] at her apartment.
• the dinner table [=the table where people eat dinner]
✦To go out to dinner is to have dinner at a restaurant.
• We haven't gone out to dinner in weeks.
• He took her out to dinner several times.

usage Most Americans have dinner in the evening, although if the main meal of the day is served in the afternoon it is also referred to as dinner. When referring to the evening meal, dinner and supper are basically synonyms in U.S. English. Dinner is a somewhat more formal word than supper and it tends to describe a somewhat more formal meal.

2 [count] : a usually large formal event at which dinner is eaten
• Two hundred people attended his retirement dinner.
• the club's annual dinner [=banquet]
• an awards dinner [=a dinner at which awards are given]
3 [count] : a cooked and packaged meal that usually only needs to be heated before it is eaten
• a frozen dinner
- see also tv dinner

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