Also 7 lunchen, lunchion, lunching, 7–8 lunchin, 8 lunshin. [Related in some way to LUNCH sb.2
The ordinary view, that the spelling lunching represents the etymological form, appears somewhat unlikely. In our quots. the earliest form is luncheon, and this appears in our quots. earlier than lunch; and there is no evidence of a derivative verb in the 16–17th c. It is possible that luncheon might have been extended from lunch on the analogy of the relation between punch, puncheon, trunch, truncheon.]
† 1. = LUNCH sb.2 1. Obs.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, Lopin, a lumpe, a goblet, a luncheon.
1617. Moryson, Itin., III. II. iv. 97. Eating a great lumpe of bread and butter with a lunchen of cheese.
1660. Chas. II’s Escape fr. Worcester, in Harl. Misc. (1809), IV. 444. The Colonel plucked out of his pocket a good luncheon of bread and cheese.
1703. Thoresby, Lett. to Ray (E. D. S.), s.v., A huge lunshin of bread, i. e. a large piece.
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), III. 62. A large luncheon of brown bread … struck my eyes.
1824. Scott, Redgauntlet, let. x. Little Benjie … was cramming a huge luncheon of pie-crust into his mouth.
fig. 1685. H. More, Paralip. Prophet., xii. 98. No little scraps of bounty … but large Lunchions of Munificence.
2. Originally, a slight repast taken between two of the ordinary meal-times, esp. between breakfast and mid-day dinner. The word retains this original application with those who use dinner as the name of the mid-day meal; with those who ‘dine’ in the evening, luncheon denotes a meal (understood to be less substantial and less ceremonious than dinner) taken usually in the early afternoon. Now somewhat formal: cf. LUNCH sb.2 2.
a. 1652. Brome, Mad Couple, V. i. Wks. 1873, I. 92. Noonings, and intermealiary Lunchings.
1655. trans. Com. Hist. Francion, III. 71. For our Breakfast and after-noons Lunchins [Fr. à gouster].
1706. E. Ward, Writings (ed. 3), II. 125. Then others more Hungry, their Stomachs to please, Sit down to their Luncheons of House-hold and Cheese.
1809. Malkin, Gil Blas, III. ii. ¶ 3. As soon as we had released our kitchen-wench, I gave orders for a good luncheon.
1823. Byron, Juan, XI. lxv. His afternoons he pass’d in visits, luncheons, Lounging and boxing.
1827. Carlyle, Germ. Rom., II. 318. The mother looked for the little ones, and brought them their evening luncheon.
1855. Mrs. Gaskell, North & S., i. They did not scruple to make a call at each other’s houses before Luncheon.
1881. Lady Herbert, Edith, 2. Have you had some luncheon?
1891. E. Peacock, N. Brendon, II. 2. Thornton stayed for luncheon.
3. attrib.
1823. J. Badcock, Dom. Amusem., 158. Allowing … not a moment for meals, nor the well known luncheon-time.
1884. W. S. Gilbert, Princess Ida, II. Merrily ring the luncheon bell.
1888. J. Payn, Myst. Mirbridge, I. ix. 146. From that very Pavilion he had slipped away during the luncheon-hour.
1891. H. Herman, His Angel, 125. The cellar … was occupied by a liquor and luncheon bar.
1899. E. Peacock, in Month, Feb., 208. To witness the servants of the Duke pitch the luncheon-tent.
1903. Railway time table, Luncheon-baskets … may be obtained at the principal stations.
Hence Luncheon v. intr., to take luncheon, to lunch; Luncheonless a., without luncheon.
1883. Ld. Saltoun, Scraps, I. 190. I … went luncheonless myself.
1885. Fortn. in Waggonette, 94. A few minutes more saw an imposing party luncheoning on the grassy roadside.
1889. Archæol. Æliana, XIII. 309. The Duke of Northumberland … luncheoned at the ‘Three Half Moons.’
