noun
supper
SUH-puh
noun
1
A light meal eaten in the evening, sometimes shortly before bed.
"We had tea and toast for supper."
"Grandma always serves supper at seven."
2
The evening meal in general; dinner eaten at night rather than midday.
"What are we having for supper tonight?"
How to Use Supper
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe evening meal, sometimes lighter than a full dinner.
UK vs US
In parts of the UK, especially the north and Scotland, "supper" can mean the main evening meal, while elsewhere it implies a lighter late snack.
Common pairings
Sunday supper
fish supper
have supper
Word Forms
suppered past tense, suppers plural, suppers plural, suppers singular
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Etymology
From Old French soper, related to sope ("soup") — the meal was originally associated with a light soup course. Compare French souper.