Lunch

Pronunciation

• IPA: /lÊŒntʃ/
• Rhymes: -ÊŒntʃ

Origin

Recorded since 1580; presumably short for luncheon, apparently an alteration from nuncheon, nonechenche "light mid-day meal", itself from none "noon" (from Latin nonus) + schench "drink" (from Old English scenc, from scencan "pour out") and altered by northern English dialect lunch "hunk of bread or cheese" (1590), which probably is from Spanish lonja "a slice" (literally "loin")

Full definition of lunch

Noun

1. A light meal usually eaten around midday, notably when not as main meal of the day.
• 1898, Winston Churchill, The Celebrity Chapter 5, We made an odd party before the arrival of the Ten, particularly when the Celebrity dropped in for lunch or dinner.
2. (cricket) A break in play between the first and second sessions.
3. (Minnesota, US) Any small meal, especially one eaten at a social gathering.
   After the funeral there was a lunch for those who didn't go to the cemetery.

Synonyms

• (midday meal) luncheon

Derived terms

• liquid lunch
• little lunch
• lunch break
• playlunch

Descendants

• Spanish:

Verb

1. To eat lunch.''I like to lunch in Italian restaurants.

Derived terms

• luncher
• lunchroom
• ladies who lunch

Related terms

• luncheonette