dine
/daɪn/ (bre, ipa) · /daɪn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈdīn/ (ame, mw)
dine — verb
- dinepresent simple I / you / we / they
- dineshe / she / it
- dinedpast simple
- dining-ing form
1. to have a meal in the evening, especially in a restaurant or as part of a formal
to have a meal in the evening, especially in a restaurant or as part of a formal occasion, when this meal is the main one of the day
The ambassador dined with the prime minister after signing the trade agreement.
dine with [person] for formal company
Eli and his family dined on fresh seafood at a small restaurant near the harbour.
dine on [food]
Guests at the hotel may dine in the main hall or on the garden terrace.
Rania prefers to dine early, usually before seven in the evening.
After the ceremony the royal couple dined privately with close friends.
- eat dinner
neutral and common in everyday speech
- have dinner
the most natural equivalent in casual conversation
- sup
very old-fashioned or literary; almost never used today
文法句型
dine
dine on/upon + food
dine with + person
dine at/in + place
dine + adverbial (alone, together, early, late)
用法筆記
More formal than 'have dinner' or 'eat dinner'. Common in written descriptions of formal events, restaurant reviews, and travel writing. The simple present tense ('we dine at seven') sounds quite old-fashioned in everyday speech.
常見錯誤
2. to eat at a restaurant and leave quickly without paying for the meal
to eat at a restaurant and leave quickly without paying for the meal
A group of students tried to dine and dash at the busy downtown pizzeria.
fixed phrase: dine and dash
The manager installed security cameras after customers repeatedly dined and dashed.
past tense: dined and dashed
Ryo was questioned by police on suspicion of planning to dine and dash.
Restaurants lose thousands of dollars each year to dine-and-dash schemes.
文法句型
dine and dash
dine and dashed (past)
用法筆記
Used almost exclusively as the fixed expression 'dine and dash' (or 'dine-and-dash' as a compound adjective). Can be inflected for past tense ('dined and dashed'). This behaviour is illegal in most places.
常見錯誤
3. to host someone by taking them to a restaurant or serving them a formal meal, of
to host someone by taking them to a restaurant or serving them a formal meal, often to show appreciation or build a relationship
The committee dined the award winners at a well-known restaurant downtown.
transitive: dine + person
The visiting professors were dined by the university president at her private club.
passive: be dined by [person]
Large companies often wine and dine potential partners to secure business deals.
Sade dined her graduate students after they published their research paper.
- wine and dine
the common modern equivalent, implying both food and drink
- host
broader — can mean any kind of hosting, not just a meal
- entertain
suggests a social occasion that may include but is not limited to dinner
文法句型
dine + person
be dined by + person
wine and dine + person
用法筆記
This transitive sense is uncommon in modern everyday English. Most speakers instead use the idiom 'wine and dine' (sense 3 example 12). When used alone, it sounds very formal or old-fashioned. The passive construction ('were dined by') is slightly more frequent than the active.
常見錯誤
dine — noun
1. the main meal of the day, eaten in the evening; an old word for dinner that has
the main meal of the day, eaten in the evening; an old word for dinner that has fallen out of everyday use
In old storybooks, travellers sat down to a fine dine of roast meat and ale.
archaic usage: a fine dine
The medieval lord invited his guests to a grand dine in the great hall.
archaic noun in historical context
The old poem described a harvest dine where villagers feasted on bread and wine.
Historians note that the medieval dine often lasted several hours and had many courses.
- dinner
the modern equivalent; use this in all contemporary contexts
用法筆記
This noun usage is essentially obsolete. Modern speakers always use 'dinner' instead. You may encounter it in historical novels, poetry, or deliberately old-fashioned writing. Do not use it in modern speech or writing — it will sound unnatural.