/'dɪnə(r); `dɪnɚ/
n
1 [C, U] main meal of the day, whether eaten at midday or in the evening 正餐（一日间的主餐, 中午或晚上吃均可）
*It's time for dinner. 该吃饭了.
* Have you had dinner yet? 你吃过饭了吗?
* (US) Did you eat dinner yet? 你吃过饭了吗?
* She didn't eat much dinner. 她这顿饭没吃多少.
* I never eat a big dinner. 我向来饭量不大.
* They're at (ie eating) dinner. 他们正在用餐.
* four dinners at
10 per person 四客饭, 每客10英镑
* Shall we ask him to dinner? 我们请她吃饭好吗? =>Usage 见所附用法.
2 [C]
(a) (usu large) formal social gathering at which this meal is eaten （通常指大型的）宴会
*A dinner was given for the ambassador. 宴请大使.
(b) (also `dinner-party) private social gathering where this meal is eaten 宴会
*give a dinner for friends 设宴招待朋友.
3 (idm 习语) a dog's breakfast/dinner => dog1.

NOTE ON USAGE 用法
*The use of the terms lunch, dinner, supper and tea varies between social classes in Britain and to some extent between regions. 在英国, 因社会阶层不同, lunch、dinner、supper、tea这四个词的用法也不尽相同, 而且在一定程度上亦有地区性差别. If the midday meal is called lunch, the evening meal is dinner or supper. 若午餐称作lunch, 则晚餐即为dinner或supper. *In this case tea consists of a drink and cake or biscuits in the afternoon. 在这种情况下, tea则指下午的茶点, 包括饮料和糕点、饼乾之类. If the midday meal is called dinner then the evening meal is tea or supper. 若午餐称作dinner, 则晚餐即是tea或supper. *In this case supper may be a light snack before bedtime. 这时, supper可能指临睡前吃的夜宵. At school, children have school dinner/lunch at midday or they may take a packed/sandwich lunch with them. 在校学生中午吃的要么是school dinner/lunch（学校午餐）, 要么是自己带去的packed sandwich lunch（盒装[三明治]午餐）.

n
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French;Origin: diner, from diner 'to eat'; DINE]
[U and C]
the main meal of the day, eaten in the middle of the day or the evening
to dinner
　Perhaps we should invite them to dinner .
for dinner
　We're having fish for dinner tonight.
　What time do you usually have dinner?
　We eat dinner at about seven.
　a three course dinner
school dinners
BrE (=meals provided in the middle of the day at school)
dinner money
BrE (=money children are given to pay for their meal at school)
Sunday/Christmas/Thanksgiving dinner
(=a special meal eaten on Sunday, at Christmas, at Thanksgiving etc)
　dinner guests
[C]
a formal occasion when an evening meal is eaten, often to celebrate something
　The Club's annual dinner will be held in November.
→dog's dinneratdog¹ (9), more sth than you've had hot dinnersathot¹ (30), TV dinner

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WORD CHOICE: dinner, supper, tea, lunch
In Britain, the main meal of the day is dinner and it is usually eaten in the evening. Some people call this meal supper , but to others supper is a very small meal that is eaten just before they go to bed. Some people call this main evening meal tea , but to others tea is a small meal that is eaten in the afternoon.
Some people use dinner to refer to the meal they eat in the middle of the day, but if you want to be clear that you are referring to this meal, use lunch .

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