Dunch is a late afternoon meal between lunch and dinner. Dunch is a North American innovation.
A dunch (the term is a portmanteau of dinner and lunch) can be served after an afternoon event or prior to an evening one in order to accommodate busy time schedules. It usually replaces both lunch and dinner and thus has a tendency to be the only meal of the day. It usually includes tea or coffee with cookies, sometimes fruits, a salad, or a light sandwich.
The term "dunch" has enjoyed a wider usage, especially among college students, than its equivalent "linner", which has died out.
Also, an archaic English word deriving from the same root as 'punch', meaning a short, sharp jab, for instance with one's elbow.
