garbanzo
Americannoun
-
garbanzos
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of garbanzo
1750–60, < Spanish, alteration of Old Spanish arvanco; perhaps akin to Latin ervum ( see ervil)
Explanation
A garbanzo is a round legume that's also known as a chickpea. You can add some garbanzos to your salad, or mash them up with tahini, lemon, and olive oil to make hummus. Many Middle Eastern, North African, and Indian dishes use garbanzos, from falafel to chana masala. The majority of the world's garbanzos are grown in India, though the word itself is Spanish and is mainly used in North America (other English speakers call them chickpeas). During World War I, roasted and ground garbanzos were sometimes used as a coffee substitute, particularly in Germany.
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.
See Examples For:
It begins, as many great soups do, with patience: garbanzo beans soaked overnight, then simmered until tender.
From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2026
Delgado chalks up his health to the fact that he’s been a pescatarian for 45 years, with a penchant for salmon, avocados, quinoa and garbanzo beans, and that he prioritizes hydration.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2025
A garbanzo croqueta is made with chickpeas and cassava flour to cater to people with food allergies.
From New York Times ● Feb. 22, 2022
Dear Heloise: I love to make huge salads with many of our evening meals, and I often add garbanzo beans to the salad because I heard they are a good source of fiber.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 20, 2021
The scent of garbanzo beans in spicy sauce hung in the air, mixed with the smell of dung and sweat.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
She and colleagues poured garbanzos into pharmacy bottles to mimic the sound of medication, in case a suspicious mailroom worker gave the package a shake.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 6, 2022
That price point stretches across a variety of legumes, including garbanzos, cannellini and pinto.
From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2022
He sources Spanish garbanzos, a smaller legume that Menashe says has better, more concentrated flavor, and he uses an imported tahini paste used by many chefs in Israel.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2018
You got your pintos, your garbanzos, your small reds, your dark kidneys.
From The Guardian ● Jan. 6, 2016
Here stands a broken-sceptred statue turning its royal back on a ragged vender of toasted garbanzos.
From Spanish Highways and Byways by Katharine Lee Bates
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.
