<Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> Lunch, the abbreviation for luncheon, is a meal typically eaten at midday . During the 20th century, the meaning gradually narrowed to a small or mid-sized meal eaten midday . Lunch is commonly the second meal of the day, after breakfast . The meal varies in size depending on the culture, and significant variations exist in different areas of the world . </P> <P> The abbreviation lunch is taken from the more formal Northern English word luncheon, which is derived from the Anglo - Saxon word nuncheon or nunchin meaning' noon drink' . The term has been in common use since 1823 . The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) reports usage of the words beginning in 1580 to describe a meal that was eaten between more substantial meals . It may also mean a piece of cheese or bread . </P> <P> In medieval Germany, there are references to similariar, a sir lunchentach according to the OED, a noon draught--of ale, with bread--an extra meal between midday dinner and supper, especially during the long hours of hard labour during haying or early harvesting . </P>

When did the word lunch start being used