bento

American  

[ben-toh] / ˈbɛn toʊ /

noun

Japanese Cooking.

plural

bentos,

plural

bento

1. a meal, usually served in a lacquered or elaborately decorated box that is divided into sections for holding individual portions of food.

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bento British  

/ ˈbɛntəʊ /

noun

1. a thin box, made of plastic or lacquered wood, divided into compartments which contain small separate dishes comprising a Japanese meal, esp lunch

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Etymology

Origin of bento

< Japanese bentō, probably < Middle Chinese, equivalent to Chinese bān manage, provide + dāng apply, i.e., provision for an eat-out meal

Example Sentences

"We sincerely apologise for the significant inconvenience caused to our customers who have supported Ministop's handmade onigiri and handmade bento boxes," the company said in a statement on Monday.

From BBC

Not too salty, not too sweet, each bento box is carefully portioned by food group to meet federal nutrition standards.

From Los Angeles Times

Her book, “Lunches Children Love,” is about making cute bento lunches filled with laughing faces and animals made out of food.

From Seattle Times

But that custom was interrupted in 2022 when a flood in the restaurant destroyed the bento orders and forced Brackett to close his doors for awhile.

From New York Times

The famed Japanese bento box, with its tidily boxed meals, is the parent of Taiwan's bento bowl - rice heaped with braised meat, eggs, tofu or vegetables.

From BBC