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meal¹

(mēl)

1. The edible whole or coarsely ground grains of a cereal grass.

2. A granular substance produced by grinding.

[Middle English mele, from Old English melu; see melə- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

meal²

(mēl)

1. The food served and eaten in one sitting.

2. A customary time or occasion of eating food.

[Middle English mele, from Old English mǣl; see mē-² in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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