Syn. -- Thin; lean; lank; gaunt; starved; hungry; poor; emaciated;
scanty; barren.
{ Mea"ger, Mea"gre }, v. t. To make lean. [Obs.]
{ Mea"ger*ly, Mea"gre*ly }, adv. Poorly; thinly.
{ Mea"ger*ness, Mea"gre*ness }, n. The state or quality of being
meager; leanness; scantiness; barrenness.
Mea"gre (?), n. [F. maigre.] (Zoöl.) A large European sciænoid fish
(Sciæna umbra or S. aquila), having white bloodless flesh. It is valued
as a food fish. [Written also maigre.]
Meak (?), n. [Cf. AS. mce sword, OS. mki, Icel. mækir.] A hook with a
long handle. [Obs.] Tusser.
Meak"ing, n. [See Meak.] (Naut.) The process of picking out the oakum
from the seams of a vessel which is to be recalked.
Meaking iron (Naut.), the tool with which old oakum is picked out of a
vessel's seams.
Meal (ml), n. [OE. mele, AS. ml part, portion, portion of time; akin to
E. meal a repast. Cf. Piecemeal.] A part; a fragment; a portion. [Obs.]
Meal, n. [OE. mel; akin to E. meal a part, and to D. maal time, meal,
G. mal time, mahl meal, Icel. ml measure, time, meal, Goth. ml time,
and to E. measure. See Measure.] The portion of food taken at a
particular time for the satisfaction of appetite; the quantity usually
taken at one time with the purpose of satisfying hunger; a repast; the
act or time of eating a meal; as, the traveler has not eaten a good
meal for a week; there was silence during the meal.
What strange fish Hath made his meal on thee ?
Shak.
Meal, n. [OE. mele, AS. melu, melo; akin to D. meel, G. mehl, OHG.
melo, Icel. mjöl, SW. mjöl, Dan. meel, also to D. malen to grind, G.
mahlen, OHG., OS., & Goth. malan, Icel. mala, W. malu, L. molere, Gr.
my`lh mill, and E. mill. √108. Cf. Mill, Mold soil, Mole an
animal, Immolate, Molar.]
1. Grain (esp. maize, rye, or oats) that is coarsely ground and
unbolted; also, a kind of flour made from beans, pease, etc.;
sometimes, any flour, esp. if coarse.
2. Any substance that is coarsely pulverized like meal, but not
granulated.
Meal beetle (Zoöl.), the adult of the meal worm. See Meal worm, below.
-- Meal moth (Zoöl.), a lepidopterous insect (Asopia farinalis), the
larvæ of which feed upon meal, flour, etc. -- Meal worm (Zoöl.), the
larva of a beetle (Tenebrio molitor) which infests granaries,
bakehouses, etc., and is very injurious to flour and meal.
Meal, v. t. 1. To sprinkle with, or as with, meal. Shak.