boiled dinner

American  

noun

Northern and North Midland U.S.

1. a meal of meat and vegetables, as of corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes, prepared by boiling.

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Etymology

Origin of boiled dinner

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805

Example Sentences

My early memories cemented cabbage as little more than root vegetable filler in a boiled dinner starring brackish corned beef, or encasing humble beef and rice filling in my German-born grandmother's stuffed cabbage rolls.

From Salon • Oct. 23, 2022

He returned to St. John’s in 2006 and helped found Atlantica in nearby Portugal Cove, one of Newfoundland’s first serious restaurants in a province better known for boiled dinner.

From New York Times • Jul. 19, 2017

A pot of beef and vegetables popular all over is New England boiled dinner, and it’s essentially a pot roast simmered in water with lots of root vegetables.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 28, 2015

Smoked pork shoulder is the foundation of the New England boiled dinner, a very appetizingly named stew that also contains root vegetables and cabbage.

From Slate • Mar. 11, 2014

Mrs. Glenn coaxed her in to a boiled dinner one day, and poor Mrs. Darter nearly died of it.

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