What does "tiffin" mean?
A (light) midday meal or snack; luncheon.
Tiffin
/ˈtɪf.ɪn/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A (light) midday meal or snack; luncheon.
- Grammar: tiffin is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: lunch, barbecue, breakfast, brunch.
- Usage evidence: He took his tiffin from home and ate the food two hours later in school.
How to use "tiffin"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "tiffin" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "tiffin" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "tiffin" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "tiffin" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "tiffin" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "lunch" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "tiffin", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A (light) midday meal or snack; luncheon. British, India, countable, uncountable
"He took his tiffin from home and ate the food two hours later in school."
- 2 a midday meal wordnet
- 3 A box or container used to carry a tiffin. British, India, countable, uncountable
""Young memsahib, an empty tiffin box costs ten rupees in the market. With the food, it's worth maybe fifteen rupees. Do you think I could retire after I steal it?" the man said. “I'm getting late. Do you want your husband to get his lunch or not? That last one's for him, isn't it?" He jerked his chin at the tiffin Anahita was still hugging."
- 4 A cake-like confection composed of crushed biscuits, sugar, syrup, raisins, cherries and cocoa powder, often covered with a layer of melted chocolate. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To eat a (light) midday meal or snack. British, India, intransitive
"Do you know that he tiffins with her three times a week, and every night, after leaving here, he finishes the evening in her society, sitting in the veranda and smoking cigarettes till all hours."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 A small city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. countable, uncountable
- 3 An unincorporated community in St. Clair County, Missouri, United States. countable, uncountable
- 4 A city, the county seat of Seneca County, Ohio, United States. countable, uncountable
Example
"He took his tiffin from home and ate the food two hours later in school."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "tiffin"?
Common synonyms include: lunch, barbecue, breakfast, brunch, clambake, coffee break.
How do you use "tiffin" in a sentence?
He took his tiffin from home and ate the food two hours later in school.
How do you pronounce "tiffin"?
Pronounced /ˈtɪf.ɪn/.
Etymology
Apparently from English tiffing, present participle of tiff (“to take a small drink, to sip”) (slang).