square meal

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word square meal. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word square meal, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say square meal in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word square meal you have here. The definition of the word square meal will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofsquare meal, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

Etymology

A dinner dish with, among other things, roast chicken and broccoli. A complete and satisfying meal is known as a square meal.

From square (hearty, vigorous) +‎ meal; this sense of square (originally US) is possibly from the fact that square plates were used to serve food on ships.

Pronunciation

Noun

square meal (plural square meals)

  1. (idiomatic) A (nutritionally) complete and satisfying meal, especially one suitable for a person performing physical labour.
    Synonym: (US, elliptical) square
    Three square meals a day should give you plenty of energy.
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see square,‎ meal.

Related terms

Translations

See also

References

  1. ^ Compare square, adj.”, in OED Online Paid subscription required, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2021.
  2. ^ square meal, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.