lunchtime

IPA/ˈlʌntʃtaɪm/
KK[lˈʌntʃtˌaɪm]IPA/ˈlʌntʃtaɪm/

lunchtime — noun

  • lunchtimesingular
  • lunchtimesplural

1. the period at around midday when people pause their activities to eat the meal c

1.nounA2
Definition

the period at around midday when people pause their activities to eat the meal called lunch

Example

The school cafeteria gets very busy at lunchtime, so the children try to arrive early.

collocation: busy at lunchtime

By lunchtime the sun was so hot that the kids played under a big tree.

preposition: by lunchtime

Common collocations
  • at lunchtime
  • by lunchtime
  • around lunchtime
  • lunchtime rush
  • lunchtime meeting
  • lunchtime crowd
  • lunchtime break
Synonyms
  • noon

    refers to the exact moment of 12:00 p.m. rather than the meal period

  • midday

    more general than lunchtime; covers roughly 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. without focusing on eating

  • lunch hour

    emphasises the one-hour break from work or school for eating

Usage Note

Commonly appears with the prepositions 'at' (at lunchtime), 'by' (by lunchtime), and 'around' (around lunchtime). It can also modify other nouns to describe events that happen during this period, such as 'lunchtime rush', 'lunchtime crowd', or 'lunchtime news'.

Common Mistakes

I will meet you in lunchtime.
I will meet you at lunchtime.
Use 'at' (not 'in') before specific time words like lunchtime, noon, and midnight.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Lunchtime, noon, and midday all refer to the middle part of the day, but they differ in emphasis. Lunchtime specifically names the period when people eat their midday meal, making it the most concrete of the three — you can say 'I'll see you at lunchtime' even on a day when you are not actually eating. Noon is exact and clock-based (12:00 p.m.), while midday is vaguer, covering roughly 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch hour is the official break allotted for eating at work or school, usually one hour long. In everyday conversation, 'lunchtime' and 'midday' are often interchangeable ('I finish work at lunchtime' / 'I finish work at midday'), but only 'lunchtime' clearly signals a meal break, whereas 'noon' sounds slightly more formal.

lunchtime ↗noon ↗midday ↗lunch hour

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • lunchtime break
  • lunchtime rush
  • lunchtime meeting
  • lunchtime crowd
  • lunchtime news

Prepositions

Etymology

SpanishOld EnglishEnglish

Lunchtime is a compound word formed from 'lunch' and 'time'. The word 'lunch' probably comes from 'luncheon', meaning a midday snack, which itself may trace back to Spanish 'lonja' (a slice of ham). 'Time' comes from Old English 'tīma', meaning a period or occasion. The compound 'lunchtime' appeared in the 19th century as lunch became a regular midday meal for workers and students.