meal ticket

meal ticket

n.

1. A card or ticket entitling the holder to a meal or meals.

2. Informal A person or thing depended on as a source of financial support.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

meal ticket

n

slang a person, situation, etc, providing a source of livelihood or income

[from original US sense of ticket entitling holder to a meal]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

meal′ tick`et

n.

1. a ticket that entitles the bearer to meals.

2. someone or something necessary for one's livelihood.

[1865–70]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	meal ticket - a source of income or livelihood   colloquialism - a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech bread and butter, keep, livelihood, sustenance, living, support - the financial means whereby one lives; "each child was expected to pay for their keep"; "he applied to the state for support"; "he could no longer earn his own livelihood"
	2.	meal ticket - coupon redeemable at a restaurant and entitling the holder to a meal luncheon voucher coupon, voucher - a negotiable certificate that can be detached and redeemed as needed

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

Translations

meal ticket

n (Am) → buono m pasto inv (fig) (fam) (job) → che dà di che vivere
a meal ticket for life (fig) → la pagnotta assicurata a vita

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995