ready-meal

A form of ready meal — A prepackaged, fresh or frozen meal that only requires heating (often in a microwave) before being served, sometimes in its own packaging.

Meanings

nounready-meal (plural ready-meals)

plural ready-meals

  1. alternativeAlternative form of ready meal.

    Although the new chilled ready-meals should have changed perception, consumers were still in a 'frozen ready-meal' state of mind which perceives ready-meals as poor in taste and quality.

    2008, Margaret Linehan, Consumer Behaviour: Irish Patterns and Perspectives, →ISBN
    2 more examples

    This would not, he assured us, compromise the electromagnetic insulation, as the glass would be embedded with a mesh screen similar to the ones that prevent microwave ovens from cooking the person on the outside while he stares impatiently at his half-defrosted ready-meal.

    2007, Christopher Brookmyre, Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks, →ISBN, page 212

    We chatted about my job, his job and how, after he'd done his telly bit, it was impossible for him to buy a supermarket ready-meal without the checkout lady giving him grief about overpackaging.

    2012, Allie Spencer, Tug of Love, →ISBN
Cite this entry
APA

ready-meal. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ready-meal

MLA

“ready-meal.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ready-meal. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ready-meal,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ready-meal.

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