different between tiffin vs luncheon

English

Etymology

Apparently from English tiffing, present participle of tiff (“to take a small drink, to sip”) (slang).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?t?f?n/
• Hyphenation: tif?fin

Noun

tiffin (countable and uncountable, plural tiffins)

1. (Britain, India) A (light) midday meal or snack; luncheon.
2. (Britain, India) A container used to carry a tiffin; tiffin box, tiffin carrier, tiffin container.

Derived terms

• tiffin box
• tiffin carrier
• tiffin container

Descendants

• Chinese Pidgin English: tiffin

Verb

tiffin (third-person singular simple present tiffins, present participle tiffining, simple past and past participle tiffined)

1. (Britain, India, intransitive) To eat a (light) midday meal or snack.

Synonyms

• tiff

Chinese Pidgin English

Etymology

From English tiffin.

Noun

tiffin

1. luncheon

References

• Gow, W. S. P. (1924) Gow’s Guide to Shanghai, 1924: A Complete, Concise and Accurate Handbook of the City and District, Especially Compiled for the Use of Tourists and Commercial Visitors to the Far East, Shanghai, page 108: “Tiffin: (Indian) luncheon.”

English

Alternative forms

• lunching (obsolete)

Etymology

From earlier lunching, of uncertain origin. Possibly related to lunch, q.v. It is unclear which came first. Possibly influenced by nuncheon (“light snack taken in the afternoon”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?l?nt?.?n/, /?l?n?.?n/
• Hyphenation: lun?cheon
• Rhymes: -?nt??n

Noun

luncheon (countable and uncountable, plural luncheons)

1. A formal meal served in the middle of the day.
2. (obsolete) Any midday meal; lunch.
   • 1931, Mildred Wirt (as Carolyn Keene), The Mystery at Lilac Inn (page 4)

     "Have you had luncheon?"

3. (obsolete) A lump of food.
4. (obsolete) A portion of food taken at any time except at a regular meal; an informal or light repast.

   • At twilight in the summer there is never anybody to fear—man, woman, or cat—in the chambers and at that hour the mice come out. They do not eat parchment or foolscap or red tape, but they eat the luncheon crumbs.

Derived terms

• luncheon meat
• luncheonette

Related terms

• nuncheon

Translations

Verb

luncheon (third-person singular simple present luncheons, present participle luncheoning, simple past and past participle luncheoned)

1. (intransitive, dated) To eat luncheon.
   • 1844, Banjamin Disraeli, Coningsby

     In the meantime, while ladies are luncheoning on chicken pie, or coursing in whirling britskas, performing all the singular ceremonies of a London morning in the heart of the season […]

See also

• lunch
• tiffin
• dejeuner

Further reading

- lunch on Wikipedia.Wikipedia