Lunch
/lʌntʃ/noun
A light meal eaten around midday or early afternoon.
Did you know?The word likely began as a regional English form related to a lump or chunk, showing how ordinary meal names can grow out of blunt, everyday physical speech rather than elegant Latin.
Etymological Timeline
Early 16th Century
English
lunche
“A thick piece, hunk, or lump; also a large bite or piece of food.”
16th Century
English
nunch
“A dialectal form meaning a snack or piece of food eaten between meals.”
16th–17th Century
English
lunch
“A light meal or snack, especially one eaten between regular meals.”
Modern English
English
lunch
“The midday meal or a light meal eaten around midday.”