refection

From French réfection, from Latin refectiōnem, accusative singular of refectiō (“recovery, refection”), from reficiō (“restore, renew”).

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈfɛkʃən/

refection (countable and uncountable, plural refections)

1. Mental or spiritual refreshment.
2. Physical refreshment, especially with food or drink.
   • 1658, Thomas Browne, “The Garden of Cyrus. […]. Chapter IIII.”, in Hydriotaphia, Urne-buriall, […] Together with The Garden of Cyrus, […], London: […] Hen[ry] Brome […], →OCLC, pages 163–164:

     For beſide the common way and road of reception by the root, there may be a refection and imbibition from without; For gentle ſhowrs refreſh plants, though they enter not their roots; [...]

   • 1820 March, [Walter Scott], chapter III, in The Monastery. A Romance. […], volume II, Edinburgh: […] Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and for Archibald Constable and Co., and John Ballantyne, […], →OCLC, page 95:

     [S]in and sorrow it were, considering the hardships of this noble and gallant knight, no whit mentioning or weighing those we ourselves have endured, if we were now either to advance or retard the hour of refection beyond the time when the viands are fit to be set before us.

3. A meal, especially a light meal.

   Synonym: repast

   • 1936, Norman Lindsay, The Flyaway Highway, Sydney: Angus and Robertson, page 40:

     [T]he cooks were laying a refection before him of sack and anchovies and garlic sausage and gammons of bacon and - this was the important item - a great pudding dish out of which rose the noble dome of a crisp brown pie-crust.

• Refection Sunday

• refectory