Meanings
plural mealtimes
- countableuncountableThe appointed time at which a meal is served or eaten.
My youngest son has a special cry for mealtimes.
2 more examples
Since mealtime has been the traditional setting for family interaction, Tending the Family Tree is structured to simulate that setting. We suggest that the sessions be scheduled during mealtime when the group can eat, discuss, and worship together.
1982, Mary Ylvisaker Nilsen, “[Introduction] Brief Description of the Course”, in Tending the Family Tree: A Family-centered, Bible-based Experience for Church Groups, Minneapolis, Minn.: Winston Press, →ISBN, page 2, columns 1–2As the 3DS gets closer to launch, and in spite of my assertions that I’ll be turning the 3D off for my youngest, I still find myself inundated with questions about the new console most mealtimes.
2011 February 4, Andy Robertson, “Playground Report on Pilotwings Resort 3DS”, in Wired, archived from the original on 03 Jul 2025Synonyms: mealtide
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe appointed time at which a meal is served or eaten.
Origin
- Old Englishmǣltīma“mealtime”
- Middle Englishmeeltime
- Englishmealtime
From Middle English meeltime, from Old English mǣltīma (“mealtime”), equivalent to meal + time. Compare mealtide, Old English mǣltīd (“mealtime”), Dutch maaltijd (“meal”), German Mahlzeit (“meal, mealtime”), Danish måltid (“meal, mealtime”), Icelandic máltíð (“meal”), Icelandic matmálstími (“mealtime”).
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian време за хранене
- време за хранене (vreme za hranene)time at which a meal is eaten
Chinese Mandarin 進餐時間 /进餐时间
- 進餐時間 /进餐时间 (jìncān shíjiān)time at which a meal is eaten
Dutch etenstijd
- etenstijdtime at which a meal is eaten
Finnish ruoka-aika
- ruoka-aikatime at which a meal is eaten
Norwegian Bokmål mål, måltid
- måltime at which a meal is eaten
- måltidtime at which a meal is eaten
Persian وعده غذا
- وعده غذا (va'de-ye ġazâ)time at which a meal is eaten
Cite this entry
mealtime. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mealtime
“mealtime.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mealtime. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mealtime,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mealtime.
Source: mealtime on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.