A meal is an eating occasion that takes place at a certain time and includes specific, prepared food, or the food eaten on that occasion.meal noun (FOOD) - definition in the British English Dictionary & Thesaurus - Cambridge Dictionaries Onlinemeal - Definition from Longman English Dictionary Online The names used for specific meals in English vary greatly, depending on the speaker's culture, the time of day, or the size of the meal. Meals occur primarily at homes, restaurants, and cafeterias, but may occur anywhere. Regular meals occur on a daily basis, typically several times a day. Special meals are usually held in conjunction with such occasions as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and holidays. A meal is different from a snack in that meals are generally larger, more varied, and more filling than snacks.