-meal

/miːl/

suffix

Used to denote a fixed number, measure, or amount at a time.

“wordmeal (“one word at a time, word by word”)”

OriginMiddle English -mele ← Old English -mǣlum ← Proto-Germanic *mēlamiz →
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Meanings

-meal1

suffix
  1. idiomaticrareUsed to denote a fixed number, measure, or amount at a time.

    wordmeal (“one word at a time, word by word”)

-meal2

suffix
  1. Denotes a powder made of ground cereal.

Origin

-meal · suffix

  1. Proto-Germanic*mēlą“measure; time”
  2. Proto-Germanic*mēlamiz
  3. Old English-mǣlum“at times”
  4. Middle English-mele
  5. English-meal

From Middle English -mele, from Old English -mǣlum (“at times”), from Proto-Germanic *mēlamiz, instrumental case of Proto-Germanic *mēlą (“measure; time”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian -moal, Dutch -maal, German Low German -maal, German -mal. More at meal.

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

-meal · suffix

  1. Proto-Indo-European*melh₂-“to grind, mill”
  2. Proto-Germanic*melwą“meal, flour”
  3. Old Englishmelu“meal, flour”
  4. Middle Englishmele
  5. English-meal

From Middle English mele, from Old English melu (“meal, flour”), from Proto-Germanic *melwą (“meal, flour”), from Proto-Indo-European *melh₂- (“to grind, mill”). More at meal.

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-Germanic

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with -meal

realmobilefeeldealsteelappealwheelsealmealNeilrevealreelstealheelpeelhealnealsteelerepealtealsurrealcelalleleLille
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

-meal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-meal

MLA

“-meal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-meal. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “-meal,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/-meal.

Source: -meal on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.