tiffin
noun
a light midday meal; lunch
tiffin
1 American
[tif-in]
/ ˈtɪf ɪn /
noun
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
Tiffin
2
American
[tif-in]
/ ˈtɪf ɪn /
noun
tiffin
British
/ ˈtɪfɪn /
noun
Etymology
Origin of tiffin
First recorded in 1800–05; variant of tiffing (unattested), equivalent to tiff (obsolete) “to sip, drink, snack between meals” + -ing 1
Explanation
In India, a tiffin is a meal eaten any time between breakfast and dinner. The round metal lunchbox it often comes in is also called a tiffin, and it's a handy container for packing a hot lunch. During the period of British rule in India, the British custom of afternoon tea merged with the Indian custom of a light afternoon meal. It came to be called tiffin, after the English slang tiffing, "to take a little drink." In Northern India, tiffin is basically lunch, often one packed in a tiered metal lunchbox also called a tiffin. People who sell pre-packed tiffins are called tiffin wallahs or dabbawalas.
Vocabulary lists containing tiffin
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For 15 years, the family ran a tiffin service for doctors at the adjoining hospitals, cooking and delivering meals across the medical campus.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
Rashim, who is fond of thriller TV shows, watches a local Indian serial on his smartphone while his oldest son, a young teenager, shows up with a tiffin, or lunchbox.
From Slate • Aug. 5, 2022
There are Indian tiffin carriers, ghee pots, woks, a noodle press and falafel molds.
From New York Times • Jul. 7, 2021
As we wait for him to return, a local municipality van pulls over and people in orange uniforms unload metal tiffin containers with hot food ready for distribution.
From The Guardian • Jun. 12, 2020
"It will be," Ma answers, handing him the tiffin box of lunch she packs in the mornings.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
