diner

American  

[dahy-ner] / ˈdaɪ nər /

noun

1. a person who dines.

2. a railroad dining car.

3. a restaurant built like such a car.

4. a small, informal, and usually inexpensive restaurant.

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diner British  

/ ˈdaɪnə /

noun

1. a person eating a meal, esp in a restaurant

2. a small restaurant, often at the roadside

3. a fashionable bar, or a section of one, where food is served

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Etymology

Origin of diner

First recorded in 1800–10; dine + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Service was thoughtful, even as a solo diner, with spot-on recommendations.

From Salon

Patrons— families with young children, groups of chattering friends, couples on dates, and solo diners—sit at green picnic tables, their plates piled with food.

From Literature

Located just outside Abadiânia, an agricultural town about 60 miles from Brasília, Route 60 is family diner, truck stop and country store rolled into one.

From The Wall Street Journal

Denny’s, a casual diner chain, was taken private at the end of last year.

From The Wall Street Journal

Over the course of several meetings, including one at an upscale Austrian diner built into a 12th-century monastery, the men said they wanted to feel out the government’s thinking.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bistro
• booth
• coffee shop
• saloon