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Synonyms

tiffin

1 American  
[tif-in] / ˈtɪf ɪn /

noun

  1. a light midday meal; lunch

verb (used without object)

  1. to eat a light midday meal.

verb (used with object)

  1. to provide a light meal for; serve lunch to.

Tiffin 2 American  
[tif-in] / ˈtɪf ɪn /

noun

  1. a city in N Ohio.

tiffin British  
/ ˈtɪfɪn /

noun

  1. (in India) a light meal, esp one taken at midday

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

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.

"He is alive because I didn't give him tiffin," she said.

From BBC • Jul. 26, 2025

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

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

The tight quarters are one reason for the tiffin boxes, stackable metal containers used to transport two multipart, shareable entrees.

From Washington Post • Jun. 12, 2019

His tiffin box with tomato sandwiches and his Eagle flask with an eagle was on the little folding table in front of him.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

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.