lunch

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈlənch How to pronounce lunch (audio)
Synonyms of lunchnext
1
: a usually light meal
especially : one taken in the middle of the day
2
: the food prepared for a lunch
see also:
eat someone's lunch 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Students had a catered lunch on opening day this week before classes began. — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 26 Aug. 2026 But this district is choosing to extend the policy prohibiting technology between classes and during lunch, which some parents are not happy about. — Julia Avant, CBS News, 26 Aug. 2026
Verb
Go boutique shopping on Fox Street before lunching at Living Room, a rooftop cafe with city views that are super lekker (cool, in Afrikaans). — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026 After Republican senators lunched with Vice President JD Vance, the contours of a deal to finish the Senate’s summer business started becoming clearer. — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 6 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lunch

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of lunch was in 1783

Phrases Containing lunch

Rhymes for lunch

See All Rhymes for lunch

Browse Nearby Words

lunatum
lunch
lunch box
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lunch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lunch. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

lunch

1 of 2 noun
ˈlənch How to pronounce lunch (audio)
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

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for lunch

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