Word
luncheon
Phoneticslun·cheon, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈɫəntʃən/
UK/lˈʌntʃən/
Definitions
01formal midday meal
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. a formal meal served in the middle of the day, often for a special event.
n. a formal midday meal, often held to honour a guest or mark a specific occasion. The term implies a higher degree of ceremony than 'lunch'.
“The charity held a fundraising luncheon at the hotel for its donors.”
“The university hosted a formal luncheon in the Great Hall to celebrate the visiting professor's lifetime achievements in literature.”
02midday meal
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Archaic · Literary
n. an old-fashioned word for lunch.
n. a midday meal; the original full form of the word 'lunch'.
“In the old novel, the characters stopped for a quick luncheon at the inn.”
“Nineteenth-century etiquette dictated specific dress codes for a lady attending a private luncheon at a friend's estate.”
Synonyms
03processed meat
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun British English · Dialect
n. a type of large, cheap sausage that is sliced thin.
n. a large, precooked, processed meat product, typically served in thin slices as a sandwich filling.
“He made a simple sandwich with two slices of luncheon and some mustard.”
“The deli counter was stocked with various types of luncheon, though the cheaper varieties were mostly composed of cereal fillers.”
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Trump’s subsequent luncheon with billionaires gave off the same impression.” Etymology
From earlier lunching, of uncertain origin. Possibly derived from an earlier lumpchin, lumpchen, a diminutive of lump (“chunk, parcel of food, lunch”), thus related to lunch, q.v. It is unclear which came first: whether lunch is a shortening of luncheon, or whether luncheon is an augmentation of lunch. Possibly influenced by nuncheon (“light snack taken in the afternoon”). The "sausage" sense is probably a shortening of luncheon sausage or luncheon meat.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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