lunch
lunch — noun
1. a meal you have at around noon, often lighter than the evening meal and eaten du
a meal you have at around noon, often lighter than the evening meal and eaten during a break from work or school.
Defne usually eats lunch at the school canteen with her friends.
collocation: eat lunch at [place]
Lakshmi packed a lunch of rice and vegetables for the trip.
collocation: packed lunch of [food]
Gabriel took a break from work to have a quick lunch at a café.
What did you have for lunch today, Marta — noodles or rice?
Hao brought a sandwich and an apple for his lunch every day that week.
- luncheon
more formal term for lunch, often used on invitations or official menus
- midday meal
descriptive phrase rather than a direct synonym; more common in writing than speech
文法句型
have/eat + lunch
for + lunch
at + lunch
用法筆記
In everyday English, lunch is most often used without an article (have lunch, eat lunch, for lunch). The indefinite article a is used when describing a particular instance: 'a light lunch', 'a working lunch'.
常見錯誤
lunch — verb
1. to eat your midday meal, usually during a break from work, study, or other activ
to eat your midday meal, usually during a break from work, study, or other activities.
Dewi lunched at a small noodle shop near the office every Tuesday.
verb pattern: lunch at [place]
Imani lunched with a colleague to discuss the new project plan.
verb pattern: lunch with [person]
We lunched on fresh bread and cheese while sitting in the park.
Jack lunched early that day so he could catch the afternoon train.
文法句型
lunch + at/in/with + place/person
lunch + on + food
用法筆記
Frequently used in British English ('lunching with clients'). In American English, have lunch or eat lunch are far more common for this sense. Common in formal or written contexts.
常見錯誤
2. to invite someone to eat a midday meal with you and to pay for their food as you
to invite someone to eat a midday meal with you and to pay for their food as your guest.
Constanza lunched her guests at the hotel restaurant after the ceremony.
transitive: lunch + someone + at [place]
The director lunched the new staff members on their first day of work.
transitive: lunch + someone + on + [occasion]
Abigail offered to lunch her cousin at the new Italian place downtown.
Élise lunched her entire team at a seaside restaurant to celebrate the project.
- treat someone to lunch
the more common phrasal alternative in everyday English
- host someone for lunch
emphasises being the host, often in a formal or home setting
文法句型
lunch + someone + at + place
用法筆記
This transitive sense is uncommon in everyday conversation — most speakers would say 'take someone to lunch' or 'treat someone to lunch' instead. It appears mainly in formal or business writing.