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:
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
Largeman-Roth recommends going with a vegan cookie dough made with garbanzo beans or white beans.
From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2023
The hottest gluten-free cookbook on the market relied on a garbanzo bean/fava bean flour blend, also on the list of foods Elena was allergic to.
From Seattle Times ● May 16, 2023
The pangram from yesterday’s Spelling Bee was garbanzo.
From New York Times ● Sep. 24, 2022
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
That price point stretches across a variety of legumes, including garbanzos, cannellini and pinto.
From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2022
Add greens — basil, tarragon, parsley — and “it makes the dish more of a salad hummus as opposed to just puréed garbanzos with beets.”
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
To connect food to gardening he bought a package of dried minestrone soup mix that contained hulless barley, garbanzos, lentils, white beans and other odd items they were curious to try.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 1, 2015
There was a puchero simmering at the fire, half full of bacon, garbanzos, and other provisions; this was emptied into a large wooden platter, and out of this Antonio and myself supped.
From The Bible in Spain Vol. 1 [of 2] by George Henry Borrow
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