lunch
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lunch
- /lʌnt͡ʃ/ US, UK
- /lʌnʃ/ US, UK
- [lʌ̃nt͡ʃ] US, UK
Rhymes with -ʌntʃ
Where it comes from
Recorded since 1580 in the sense “piece, hunk”. The word luncheon with the same meaning is presumably an extension on the pattern of puncheon (“cask”) and truncheon (“cudgel”). But earliest found forms of luncheon include lunshin and lunching, which are equivalent to lunch + -ing, with the suffix -ing possibly later modified to imitate a French origin.
In contrast, the more common sense “light meal” is first attested for luncheon in 1652 and for lunch in 1829, so in this sense the latter is probably a shortening of the former.
Lunch is possibly a derivative of lump (as hunch is from hump. See hunch for more), or represents an alteration of nuncheon, from Middle English nonechenche (“light midday meal”) (see nuncheon) and altered by northern English dialect lunch (“hunk of bread or cheese”) (1590), which perhaps is from lump or from Spanish lonja (“a slice”, literally “loin”).
noun lunches
- A light meal usually eaten around midday, notably when not as main meal of the day. We made an odd party before the arrival of the Ten, particularly when the Celebrity dropped in for lunch or dinner.
- A break in play between the first and second sessions.
- 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.
- A thin piece or hunk (of bread, meat, etc.)
verb lunches · lunching · lunched
- To eat lunch. I like to lunch in Italian restaurants.
- To treat to lunch. We dined him, we lunched him, we were photographed in his company by flashlight.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: luncheon, tiffin, dejeuner, lunchtime, lunchroom, mealtime, dinner, brunch, restaurant, meal, dinnertime, dining, suppertime, supper, dine, diner
Translations
Every language
noun meal around midday
| Español | almuerzo, comida, yanta, lonche, lonch, lunch |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 점심 jeomsim, 점심(點心)밥 jeomsimbap, 점심(點心) 식사 jeomsim siksa, 중식 jungsik, 오반 oban, 주식 jusik |
| 日本語 | 昼食 chūshoku, 昼ご飯 hirugohan, 昼飯 hirumeshi, 昼餉 hiruge, ランチ ranchi |
| 中文 | 午飯 /午饭 wǔfàn, 午餐 wǔcān |
| हिन्दी | लंच lañc, दोपहर का खाना dophar kā khānā, नहार nahār |
| Kiswahili | chakula cha mchana |
| Português | almoço, grande-almoço |
| Français | déjeuner, dîner (Cajun), lunch |
| Deutsch | Mittagessen, Lunch |
| Italiano | pranzo, seconda colazione |
| Ελληνικά | γεύμα gévma, μεσημεριανό mesimerianó |
| Română | prânz, dejun, mare dejun |
| Русский | обе́д obéd, второ́й за́втрак vtorój závtrak, ланч lanč, ленч lenč |
| Tiếng Việt | bữa trưa, bữa ăn trưa |
| العربية | غَدَاء ḡadāʔ |
| עברית | אֲרוּחַת צׇהֳרַיִם arukhát tsohoráyim |
verb to eat lunch
| Español | almorzar, lonchear, lonchar |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 점심을 먹다 jeomsim-eul meokda, 점심밥을 먹다 jeomsimbab-eul meokda, 점심 식사를 하다 jeomsim siksa-reul hada, 점심을 드시다 jeomsim-eul deusida, 점심을 잡수시다 jeomsim-eul japsusida, 점심밥을 잡수시다 jeomsimbab-eul japsusida |
| 日本語 | 昼食をとる chūshoku o toru |
| 中文 | 吃午飯 /吃午饭 chī wǔfàn |
| Português | almoçar |
| Français | déjeuner, prendre déjeuner, luncher |
| Deutsch | zu Mittag essen |
| Italiano | pranzare |
| Ελληνικά | γευματίζω gevmatízo |
| Română | prânzi |
| Русский | обе́дать obédatʹ, пообе́дать poobédatʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | ăn trưa |
Talk about this word "lunch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/lunch. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. lunch. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/lunch "lunch." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/lunch.Cite this
@misc{lunch_2026,
title = {lunch},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/lunch},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
