# luncheon

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈlʌn(t)ʃən/ · frequency rank #19,384

## Definitions
1. A formal meal served in the middle of the day.
2. A large, cheap, processed sausage served in thin slices.
3. Any midday meal; lunch.
4. A lump of food.
5. A portion of food taken at any time except at a regular meal; an informal or light repast.

## 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.

## Easily confused with
- **lunches** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/luncheon-vs-lunches)
- **lunchbox** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/lunchbox-vs-luncheon)

## Common misspellings (12)
`lluncheon`, `lnucheon`, `lucnheon`, `lunccheon`, `luncehon`, `luncheno`, `luncheonn`, `lunchheon`, `lunchoen`, `lunhceon`, `lunncheon`, `ulncheon`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/luncheon