noun
1. : a ticket authorizing the provision of a meal ; especially : a card with a specified cash value that is sold by a restaurant at a discount, is redeemable at the face value in food, and constitutes a method of prepayment for meals
2.
a. : a person that provides the living expenses of another
only married her for a meal ticket
b. : someone or something that is the ultimate source of one's income
had to nurse the old truck along because it was our meal ticket
this toothpaste account was the real meal ticket of the agency