ENGLISH
REFERENCE

eat in

phr. v..
A2 Elementary Oxford

phr. v.. to have a meal at home instead of going to a restaurant.

phr. v.. to consume a meal within one's own residence; often used to contrast with dining out or ordering food to be taken away.


SIMPLE

I'm tired, so let's just eat in tonight.

CONTEXTUAL

We decided to eat in because the weather was too cold to walk to the local bistro.

COMPLEX

While many urban professionals prefer the convenience of local eateries, there is a growing trend toward eating in to save money and control ingredients.

Particles
in
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
eat + in
Usage

usually functions as an intransitive verb with no direct object.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'eat out' (at a restaurant) and 'take away' (buying food to bring home); note that 'eat in' can also be used in fast-food contexts to mean eating inside the shop.

Pitfall

We ate in the home.We ate in.the phrase 'eat in' already implies 'at home' or 'on the premises', so adding 'the home' is redundant.

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