What does lunch mean?
Lunch is the ordinary English word for a meal eaten during the middle of the day, usually between breakfast and dinner. It can refer to the food itself, the occasion of eating, or a break in the working day: someone might have a quick lunch, skip lunch, or arrive late for lunch. In British English, lunch can also mean a light meal or refreshment, especially in settings such as a pub, café, or hotel. The related verb, “to lunch,” is informal and describes eating lunch, as in “We lunched at a sandwich bar.” Although lunch is widely understood, it remains culturally variable: the contents of lunch differ across households, regions, and occasions, and the meal may be substantial or very light. The word is useful because it captures both a familiar daily practice and the social or working pauses associated with the middle of the day.
A meal eaten in the middle of the day, typically between breakfast and dinner.
"We had lunch at a small restaurant near the park."
In British English, the word can also denote a light meal or refreshment.
To eat lunch.
"They lunched outdoors when the weather was pleasant."
Informal; more common in everyday speech than in formal writing.
Use “lunches” for separate midday meals or meal occasions.
"The children enjoyed their lunches at the summer camp."
Lunch is the pivot point of the working day: it divides the morning from the afternoon and gives a word to the daily ritual of pausing for food.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of lunch
The modern English word developed from Middle English forms associated with a midday meal and is recorded in English by the medieval period. Its precise development is less straightforward than that of many common words, and some older proposals connecting it with a different Old English term are uncertain. The related forms “luncheon” and “luncheonette” reflect the same general vocabulary of midday eating, with “luncheon” later becoming associated with a more formal meal.
Related word forms
How lunch is actually used
“Lunch” is neutral and very common in both British and American English. The verb “lunch” is informal and means to eat lunch; it is less common in formal writing than the noun.
Easily confused with lunch
A luncheon is a more formal or ceremonious midday meal, whereas lunch is the ordinary everyday word for a meal eaten at midday.
Lunch is generally the midday meal, while dinner is the evening meal, although the distinction varies between households and regions.