noun
luncheon
LUHN-shuhn
noun
1
A formal meal eaten in the middle of the day.
"The charity held a luncheon to thank its major donors."
"Guests were seated for the wedding luncheon at noon."
2
A cheap processed meat product, sold in slices (short for "luncheon meat").
"She fried up some luncheon with eggs for breakfast."
How to Use Luncheon
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA more formal word for lunch, or a type of tinned/sliced processed meat.
When to use it
Sounds more formal or old-fashioned than "lunch" — used for official events like business luncheons.
Common pairings
business luncheon
luncheon meat
Word Forms
luncheoned past tense, luncheons plural, luncheons singular
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Etymology
Of uncertain origin, first recorded as lunching; it may derive from an early form related to lump, meaning a chunk of food, and is closely tied to lunch, though it isn't fully settled which word came first.