lentil

American  

[len-til, -tl] / ˈlɛn tɪl, -tl /

noun

1. a plant, Lens culinaris, of the legume family, having flattened, biconvex seeds used as food.

2. the seed itself.

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lentil British  

/ ˈlɛntɪl /

noun

1. a small annual leguminous plant, Lens culinaris, of the Mediterranean region and W Asia, having edible brownish convex seeds

2. any of the seeds of this plant, which are cooked and eaten as a vegetable, in soups, etc

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Etymology

Origin of lentil

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English, from Old French lentille, from Vulgar Latin lentīcula (unrecorded), from Latin lenticula; lenticle

Example Sentences

In addition to French green lentils, you’ll need a medium yellow onion, carrots, garlic, bay leaf, vegetable broth, diced cooked ham, olive oil, cracked black pepper, sea salt and za’atar.

From Salon

Washington removed so-called pulses, an agricultural category that includes Indian staples lentils and chickpeas, from its duty-free wish list following Indian farmer protests.

From Barron's

The key is proportion: if your base is the size of a lentil or a grain of rice, aim to chop your vegetables to roughly match.

From Salon

But lentils and milk cannot power a country.

From Salon

Baz gradually returned to the kitchen, starting with “comforting, tender and slow” meals like chicken bone broth and lentil soup.

From The Wall Street Journal