[Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/dinner.html)

[home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [dictionaries](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/) / [The school dictionary](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/) / dinner

[← D](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/D/)

# dinner

«dinner» in Mova's school dictionary: **the main meal of the day, usually eaten in the evening** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a dinner, dinners; dinner — uncountable)

### meaning for a pupil

1) Dinner is the main meal of the day, usually eaten in the evening. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dinner/#m1)

2) In some parts of the UK, Ireland and Australia, dinner means the meal in the middle of the day (lunch), and the evening meal is «tea». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dinner/#m2)

3) A dinner is a formal party with a meal. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dinner/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday life, «dinner time» brings families together, and table manners matter: wash hands, wait until everyone has food, say please and thank you. At school in the UK «school dinners» and «dinner ladies» are the lunchtime meal and helpers. Phrases: «have dinner», «make dinner», «dinner is ready», «dinner party».

### examples

- What's for dinner tonight? [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dinner/#x1)
- We have dinner at six o'clock. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dinner/#x2)
- Wash your hands before dinner. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dinner/#x3)
- Dad is making spaghetti for dinner. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dinner/#x4)
- I had school dinner today. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dinner/#x5)
- Grandma invited us to Sunday dinner. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dinner/#x6)
- Please set the table for dinner. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dinner/#x7)
- They went out for a birthday dinner. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dinner/#x8)
- For dinner the Fox served soup. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dinner/#x9)

### note

Usually no «a»: «have dinner», «after dinner»; but «a lovely dinner» with an adjective. Spelled with double n; do not confuse with «diner» (a person eating, or a small US restaurant). Meal words differ by country: breakfast, lunch/dinner, tea/dinner/supper.

### In the corpora

- [In Melbourne, Mum smiles at Dad over dinner and says, "We've got some news.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/18-were-having-a-baby/3/)
- [Scene: at Christmas dinner in Leeds, Grandad and Auntie Jo argue about the government until the gravy goes cold.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/adult-life/31-votes-parties-and-the-people-in-charge/4/)
- [Snap a chicken bone from Sunday dinner and it is hollow, with thin struts inside like a bridge, light but strong.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/33-birds-feathers-wings-eggs-and-flight/2/)
- [A dinner plate is a plant puzzle.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/288-plants-we-eat-roots-stems-leaves-flowers-fruits-and-seeds/0/)
- [A mosquito had dinner while you slept, and the itch is your body reacting to its spit.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/399-bites-stings-and-scratches-mosquitoes-wasps-ticks-dog-bites-and-cat-scratches/1/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «dinner» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/dinner/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.