Definition

1. Verb (intransitive):
   • To eat a meal at home: The phrase "dine in" specifically means to have dinner or a formal meal at one's own residence, as opposed to going out to a restaurant or other establishment.

Usage

• The verb "dine in" is used to describe the act of choosing to eat at home. It is often used in contrast to "dine out."
• It is typically used in the base form, past tense ("dined in"), or as a gerund ("dining in").

Examples

• Verb:
  • We decided to dine in tonight and cook a special meal together.
  • Last Friday, we dined in and watched a movie.
  • They enjoy dining in more often than eating at restaurants.

Advanced Usage

• "To dine in" can imply a more formal or deliberate meal at home, not just a casual snack. It often suggests the preparation and enjoyment of a complete dinner.
  • For our anniversary, we chose to dine in with a candlelit dinner I prepared.

Variants and Related Words

• Dine (verb): To eat dinner.
• Dine out (phrasal verb): To eat a meal at a restaurant or someone else's home.
• Home-cooked meal (noun phrase): A meal prepared and eaten at home, often associated with dining in.

Synonyms

• Eat at home: A more general phrase with the same meaning.
• Have dinner in: A similar, slightly less formal phrase.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Dine out: To eat a meal away from home, typically at a restaurant.
  • We dine out every Saturday night.

Related Idioms

• "Make a night of it": To turn an evening at home into a special event, which can include dining in.
  • We bought some nice wine and decided to make a night of it by dining in.

Verb

1. eat at home