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

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 • Feb. 11, 2026

"Lenteja tipo Lanzarote," or Lanzarote lentil, is a popular label for lentils sold in Spanish shops.

From Science Daily • Nov. 26, 2025

There’s also chingri diye mulo shaak, a non-vegetarian variation of the same dish that swaps out lentil dumplings for shrimp.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2025

Initially, it took her four-five hours to make 1kg of dried lentil papad, but she says she can now produce that amount in just half an hour.

From BBC • Jan. 2, 2025

She often cries silently, letting the tears slide down her face, not bothering to dry them as she stirs a pot of lentil soup or kneads the dough for potato-and.cheese borekas.

From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar