lunch

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈlənch 

1

: a usually light meal

especially : one taken in the middle of the day

2

: the food prepared for a lunch

see also:

out to lunch

lunch

2 of 3

verb

lunched; lunching; lunches

intransitive verb

: to eat lunch

transitive verb

: to treat to lunch

luncher noun

luncher

3 of 3

noun (2)

lunch·​er

ˈlənchə(r)

plural -s

: one that lunches

looking around at the bustling lunchers

—Dawn Powell

Examples of lunch in a Sentence

Noun (1)

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Guests also take a bag of purchased or donated lunch items to go. —Sharon Chin, CBS News, 11 June 2026

Great for barbecue, lunch and burgers. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 June 2026

Verb

Ladies who lunch at The George cross paths with ladies who launch (startups, that is), men in smart suits are occasionally gala-bound, and creatives on laptops greet locals stopping in for a drink or afternoon tea under the ornate ceilings. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 May 2026

One table would be filled with the city’s power elite, the next—ladies who lunch. —Nancy Vienneau, Southern Living, 17 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

probably short for luncheon

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1783, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1811, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing lunch

• bag lunch
• box lunch
• do dinner/lunch
• eat/have someone or something for lunch
• eat someone's lunch
• eat someone's or something's lunch
• free lunch
• lose one's lunch
• lunch box
• lunch break
• lunch-bucket
• lunch counter
• lunch hour
• lunch meat
• out to lunch
• packed lunch
• ploughman's lunch
• pre-lunch
• there is no free lunch
• there is no such thing as a free lunch
• working/business lunch

Rhymes for lunch

• brunch
• bunch
• chinch
• crunch
• hunch
• punch
• keypunch

Kids Definition

lunch

1 of 2 noun

ˈlənch 

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