dal
1 Americannoun
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dried and often split legumes, especially lentils or peas.
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a sauce or dish made from cooked lentils and spices, common in South Asian cuisine.
abbreviation
noun
noun
noun
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split grain, a common foodstuff in India; pulse
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a variant spelling of dhal
symbol
Etymology
Origin of dal1
First recorded in 1690–1700; from Hindi dāl “split pulse, cooked pulse,” from Sanskrit dala, from dāl- “to split”
Origin of dāl3
From Arabic
Explanation
Dal is an Indian dish made using lentils and many delicious spices. Next time you go to an Indian restaurant, try ordering dal. The Hindi word dal can be used for any bean or legume that's split in half and can be cooked without soaking it first. Its Sanskrit root, also dal, means "to split." Dal is also the soup or stew made from split lentils, one of the most popular dishes in South Asia. A typical dal is made with onions, tomatoes, and whole spices fried in oil, and it is eaten with rice or a flat bread.
Vocabulary lists containing dal
Foods from Asia
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5th Grade World Cuisine, List 3
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Selection Vocabulary 4, Unit 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Bone Sine in Portland, Ore., flecks its mix of nuts and chana dal with ground lime leaves.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025
I love the sizzle of the hot, spiced ghee when it is poured into the lentils, the way that dal envelops a bowl of rice like a hug.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 8, 2024
One man admitted that he bought up a lot of land "in exchange for rice and dal or a little money".
From BBC • Feb. 23, 2024
I’ll make that with maybe some flatbreads or naan and a yogurt dip on the side, then some sort of dal.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2024
A tali was brought out piled with boiled ducks’ eggs, crisply fried pooris, dal, rice, curries, chapatis, mango chutney, and many kinds of sweets.
From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
