sb. Anglo-Ind. Also 9 tiffing [Appears to have originated in the Eng. colloq. or slang tiffing, vbl. sb. from TIFF v.2 to take a little drink or sip (cf. quot. 1785), which has been specialized in Anglo-Indian use.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulg. Tongue, Tiffing, eating, or drinking out of meal time.
1867. Wedgwood, Dict. Eng. Etymol., Tiffin, now naturalised among Anglo-Indians in the sense of luncheon, is the North country tiffing (properly sipping).]
In India and neighboring eastern countries, A light midday meal; luncheon.
1800. Ward, in Carey’s Life, vi. (1885), 137. Krishna came to eat tiffin (what in England is called luncheon) with us.
1803. [see TIFF v.4].
1810. T. Williamson, E. Ind. Vade M., I. 352. The [Mahommedan] ladies, like ours, indulge in tiffings (slight repasts).
c. 1816. Mrs. Sherwood, Stories on Ch. Catech., xvi. 141. She gave them a good tiffing about one o’clock.
1831. Trelawny, Adv. Younger Son, II. 115. When the gong sounds one, you will find tiffin in the hall.
1896. ‘H. S. Merriman,’ Flotsam, xx. I’ll call for you after tiffin.
1906. Peking & Tientsin Times, 9 May, 1/2. Those wishing to have tiffins at the forthcoming spring meeting will please apply at the secretary’s office. Price $2.00 per tiffin.
b. attrib., as tiffin-bell, -table, -time.
1811. Mrs. Sherwood, Henry & Bearer, 31. The tiffin time was very stupid to the little boy.
1852. Life in Bombay, 34. The preparation of the tiffin table.
1890. Clark Russell, Shipmate Louise, vi. The tiffin-bell rang.
Hence Tiffin v., a. intr. to take tiffin, to lunch; cf. TIFF v.4; b. trans. to provide with tiffin.
1866. Miss Braddon, Lady’s Mile, xi. I’d tiffin them if they were my visitors.
1880. P. Gillmore, On Duty, 51. Here I tiffined.
1903. Ld. R. Gower, Rec. & Remin., 388. We tiffined at a tea-house in the village.
