lentil

American  

[len-til, -tl] / ˈlɛn tɪl, -tl /

noun

• lentils
  plural

1. a plant, Lens culinaris, of the legume family, having flattened, biconvex seeds used as food.

2. the seed itself.

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lentil British  

/ ˈlɛntɪl /

noun

1. a small annual leguminous plant, Lens culinaris, of the Mediterranean region and W Asia, having edible brownish convex seeds

2. any of the seeds of this plant, which are cooked and eaten as a vegetable, in soups, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lentils
  plural

Etymology

Origin of lentil

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English, from Old French lentille, from Vulgar Latin lentīcula (unrecorded), from Latin lenticula; see lenticle

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lentil lentils

Red wine vinegar is wonderful with hearty lentil, bean and farro soups, and I love it in beef stew.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2026

“Think of them as a cross between a lentil and a velociraptor,” the National Society of Professional Surveyors, a group not normally known for purple prose, warns on its website.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 4, 2026

“How can you make a lentil dish really exciting?’

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

"Lenteja tipo Lanzarote," or Lanzarote lentil, is a popular label for lentils sold in Spanish shops.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 26, 2025

“I’m getting there. I’d also have mixed vegetable sagu and veg­etable korma and potato masala and cabbage vadai and masala dosai and spicy lentil rasam and—” “I see.”

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Amino acids are the building blocks used to make proteins, and leucine is especially abundant in protein rich foods such as dairy products, meat, beans, and lentils.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026

The government provided the family with a relief kit containing rice, lentils and cooking oil.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

“It’s traditionally done with rice and beans, but this one I do with lentils and red quinoa, which those two by themselves are powerfully protein and fiber packed,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

As a rough guide, fill a quarter of your plate with protein foods, such as meat, fish, beans, lentils or chickpeas, at every meal.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

People arrive at the church with smaller bundles of beans, oil, rice, and lentils.

From "Enrique's Journey" by Sonia Nazario