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

Explanation

A bento is a Japanese boxed lunch for one person. A bento is usually served in special dishes or containers with separate compartments for each dish. A bento typically consists of meat or fish, rice or noodles, cooked vegetables, and pickles, each tucked into its own little section. In Japan, people take home-cooked bento boxes to work or school, but they can also order a bento at a restaurant or buy one at convenience stores, in airports, or on trains. The Japanese bento comes from the Chinese biandang, "convenient."

Example Sentences

“If he ate his meals at the castle, did he bring his bento or was he served his meals?”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 4, 2024

As a New Year’s custom, Brackett typically prepares osechi bento, handmade boxes with traditional Japanese holiday dishes, for customers who preorder them.

From New York Times • Jan. 26, 2024

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 • Jan. 6, 2024

She also went to my favorite little Japanese cafe and got me a bento box of Japanese fried chicken with rice, miso soup, and potato salad.

From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh