lunch

1 of 2

noun

1
: a usually light meal
especially : one taken in the middle of the day
2
: the food prepared for a lunch

lunch

2 of 2

verb

lunched; lunching; lunches

intransitive verb

: to eat lunch

transitive verb

: to treat to lunch
luncher noun
Phrases
out to lunch
slang : out of touch with reality

Examples of lunch in a Sentence

Noun I like to eat a healthy lunch every day. We took a picnic lunch to the park. They've brought their own lunches with them. I had just a sandwich for lunch. I bought her some lunch. Verb She often lunches in the park. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Here guests can sip on spritzes made with housemade orange bitters before a lunch of dishes such as mushroom pizzette, beef carpaccio, and macarons paired with Chandon’s seasonal bottlings, including their organic sparkling rosé. Hugh Garvey, Sunset Magazine, 23 Nov. 2023 Nestled in the heart of Jumeirah, this homegrown concept led by renowned Singaporean chef Akmal Anuar has built a loyal following of locals who stop by for leisurely lunches, social dinners, or weekend breakfasts with friends. Claudia De Brito, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Nov. 2023 Use Carbone’s spicy vodka sauce with your pasta of choice, or cook up some Momofuku chili noodles for a quick lunch. Megan Wahn, Bon Appétit, 22 Nov. 2023 Following their stunning ceremony at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, guests were treated to a lunch reception and epic getaway car moment. Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 22 Nov. 2023 The Troisgros enterprise is a major business, and the money that sustains it is discussed onscreen, as with the mentions of seating fifty-four diners for a lunch costing more than three hundred euros per head, and of bottles of wine that sell for ten, fifteen, even twenty thousand euros. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2023 Or, head into town for a sit-down breakfast at Wimberley Cafe and follow that up with lunch or dinner at The Leaning Pear. Perri Ormont Blumberg, Southern Living, 21 Nov. 2023 The couple held a weekly working lunch to discuss policy. Katharine Q. Seelye, New York Times, 19 Nov. 2023 Other itineraries will include alfresco lunches at a pearl farm, deep dives into World War II history, and song and dance performances hosted by local youth. Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Nov. 2023
Verb
Ladies who lunch circa 1926 in the loggia of Mizner’s Cloister Inn. Klara Glowczewska, Town & Country, 25 July 2023 The leaders will lunch with Blinken and the White House's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, after a day of joint and individual meetings. USA TODAY, 19 Aug. 2023 During the trip, Mr. Musk also lunched with Bernard Arnault, the founder of LVMH, the world’s largest luxury company and a major advertiser. Benjamin Mullin, New York Times, 29 June 2023 This classic sunhat is perfect for lady who lunches—or the garden partier— amongst us. Roxanne Adamiyatt, Town & Country, 23 June 2023 Romeo Santos is wrapping up his four-date U.S. stadium stint that lunched on June 3 at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium. Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 17 June 2023 Neil, who lunched with her periodically for years afterward and was quietly in love with her, is bequeathed her papers after her death. Matthew Gavin Frank, Harper's Magazine, 1 July 2022 Getting it through the Senate Thursday night took hours of negotiations between the two parties, with independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema shuttling in designer sneakers between Republicans lunching on the second floor of the Capitol and Democrats on and off the Senate floor. Zach C Cohen, Bloomberg.com, 2 June 2023 Prominent Democrats lauded her career in a video; she and Hollywood mega-donor Jeffrey Katzenberg were spotted lunching nearby at Langer’s, with a #19 sandwich (pastrami, Swiss, coleslaw and Russian dressing) on the table. Seema Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 29 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lunch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably short for luncheon

First Known Use

Noun

1800, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1811, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of lunch was in 1800

Dictionary Entries Near lunch

Cite this Entry

“Lunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lunch. Accessed 10 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

lunch

1 of 2 noun
1
: a light meal
especially : one eaten in the middle of the day
2
: the food prepared for a lunch

lunch

2 of 2 verb
: to eat or treat to lunch
luncher noun

More from Merriam-Webster on lunch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!