lunch

1 of 2

noun

ˈlənch 

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The problem is Campbell has been taking LaFleur’s lunch money the last 3 ½ years. —Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025

My first meal here was a late lunch at Magnolia, a relaxed daytime eatery. —Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025

Verb

Today’s clients aren’t just heiresses and socialites—such as the archetypal ladies who lunched Nan Kempner and Lynn Wyatt—they’re young tech founders, wealthy aesthetes, and archivists. —Chloe Russell Kent, Air Mail, 9 Aug. 2025

Get the Most Out of Your Groceries Bring more mindfulness to your food consumption by lunching on leftovers and turning trash into treasure. —Gia Mora, Treehugger, 7 Aug. 2025

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

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
• 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