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Meal vs Eating - What's the difference?

meal | eating |

As nouns the difference between meal and eating

is that meal is (senseid)food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time (eg breakfast = morning meal, lunch = noon meal, etc) or meal can be the coarse-ground edible part of various grains often used to feed animals; flour or meal can be a speck or spot while eating is the act of ingesting food.

As verbs the difference between meal and eating

is that meal is to defile or taint while eating is .

As an adjective eating is

suitable to be eaten without being cooked.

meal

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl), from (etyl) .

Noun

(en noun)
  • (senseid)Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time (e.g. breakfast = morning meal, lunch = noon meal, etc).
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author=(Henry Petroski)
    • , title= Geothermal Energy , volume=101, issue=4, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Energy has seldom been found where we need it when we want it. Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal.}}
  • Food served or eaten as a repast.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2012, month=March-April, author=Anna Lena Phillips, volume=100, issue=2, page=172
    • , magazine=(American Scientist) , title= Sneaky Silk Moths , passage=Last spring, the periodical cicadas emerged across eastern North America. Their vast numbers and short above-ground life spans inspired awe and irritation in humans—and made for good meals for birds and small mammals.}}
    Hyponyms
    * See also
    Derived terms
    * make a meal of * meal mob * meal station * meal ticket

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) mele, from (etyl) . More at (l).

    Noun

    (-)
  • The coarse-ground edible part of various grains often used to feed animals; flour.
  • * {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=July-August, author=(Henry Petroski)
    • , title= Geothermal Energy , volume=101, issue=4, magazine=(American Scientist) , passage=Ancient nomads, wishing to ward off the evening chill and enjoy a meal around a campfire, had to collect wood and then spend time and effort coaxing the heat of friction out from between sticks to kindle a flame. With more settled people, animals were harnessed to capstans or caged in treadmills to turn grist into meal .}}
    Derived terms
    * mealy * cornmeal * oatmeal

    Etymology 3

    Variation of mole (compare (etyl) mail), from (etyl) mole, mool, from (etyl) . More at (l).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A speck or spot.
  • A part; a fragment; a portion.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To defile or taint.
    • Were he meal'd with that / Which he corrects, than were he tyrannous. ? Shakespeare.

    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words ----

    eating

    English

    Verb

    (head)

    • Adjective

    (-)
  • Suitable to be eaten without being cooked.
    • Wait! That's not an eating apple.

    Noun

    (wikipedia eating)
  • The act of ingesting food.
  • Food; cooking, cuisine.
    • I remember when we visited Aunt Martha's house, we had some really good eating !
  • The act of corroding or consuming some substance.

    • Synonyms

    * (ingesting food) dining, consuming, consumption

    Anagrams

    *