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# refreshments

«refreshments» in Mova's school dictionary: **small amounts of food and drink offered at a meeting…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 3 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (plural; refreshment, refreshments)

### meaning for a pupil

1) small amounts of food and drink offered at a meeting, event or journey. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/refreshments/#m1)

2) (euphemism, polite) alcoholic drinks, as in "liquid refreshments" or "a few refreshments". [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/refreshments/#m2)

3) (formal, singular) the feeling of being refreshed. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/refreshments/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

Used on invitations and notices for food and drinks; as a euphemism, a polite, jokey way to talk about alcohol, all regions. "Liquid refreshment" almost always hints at beer or wine.

### examples

- Refreshments will be served after the school play. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/refreshments/#x1)
- We sold refreshments at the sports day to raise money. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/refreshments/#x2)
- The grown-ups went to the pub for some liquid refreshment. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/refreshments/#x3)
- "Had a few refreshments last night, did we?" the neighbour teased. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/refreshments/#x4)
- Light refreshments include tea, juice and biscuits. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/refreshments/#x5)
- The coach stopped for refreshments halfway. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/refreshments/#x6)
- Shortly afterward, refreshments, consisting mostly of Camel's hump and ribs, were served to the company. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/R/refreshments/#x7)

### note

Usually plural. On a school notice it means snacks and drinks; among adults with a wink it means alcohol. In maths problems refreshments are often things sold at a stall with prices to add up.

### In the corpora

- [In the middle is a dish of tarts that look so good that Alice wishes they'd hurry up and hand round the refreshments.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/21-alice-who-stole-the-tarts-1/2/)
- [For several weeks he refuses «his meals or intermediate light refreshments» (snacks between meals).](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/52-willows-ch8-part1-the-gaolers-daughter/11/)
- ["Refreshments" on an invitation can politely mean alcoholic drinks.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/30-drinking-and-drugs/8/)

### Trees and pragmatics

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