# square meal

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/square-meal
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A (nutritionally) complete and satisfying meal, especially one suitable for a person performing physical labour.

## Examples

- I need a proper square meal after working all day.
- After hiking for six hours, we were all ready for a hot, square meal.
- The charity provides a daily square meal to those who otherwise struggle to find consistent, nutritious food.

## Origin

From square, in the sense of hearty or vigorous, and meal. The term is a compound of these two elements.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.