# dine

/ˈdaɪn/ (US) · /dˈaɪn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dine
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. to eat dinner

verb · CEFR B1 · Formal

to eat a meal, especially dinner, in a formal or special way.

For teachers: to eat the principal meal of the day. Intransitive; often implies a degree of formality or a social occasion.

- We decided to dine at a small Italian restaurant for our anniversary.
- The ambassadors will dine at the embassy tonight to discuss the new trade agreement in a more relaxed setting.

Usage: Usually followed by the preposition 'at' for a location or 'on' for the food being eaten.

### 2. to host for dinner

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal · Literary

to provide a formal dinner for someone else.

For teachers: to entertain someone at dinner or to provide a meal for them. Transitive; takes a direct object representing the person being fed.

- The host dines his guests with the finest wines and local dishes.
- It was his custom to dine his business associates at his private club to ensure their undivided attention during negotiations.

Usage: This transitive use is much less common than the intransitive sense and is restricted to high-register or literary contexts.

## Examples

- We dine at seven o'clock every night.
- The couple decided to dine at the new Italian restaurant downtown.
- To dine in such an opulent setting, one must adhere to strict dress codes and observe the subtle rituals of fine dining.

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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.