lentil
[len-til, -tl]
- a plant, Lens culinaris, of the legume family, having flattened, biconvex seeds used as food.
- the seed itself.
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Origin of lentil
1200–50; Middle English < Old French lentille < Vulgar Latin *lentīcula for Latin lenticula. See lenticle
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for lentil
Contemporary Examples
Tonight's dinner--lentil soup with ham--went in the slow cooker before work this morning.
We have a rotating list of soups that we serve at François Payard Bakery, but my current favorite is the lentil.
If you can find it, opt for a soup with a legume base like lentil or black bean.
Depending upon how much lamb is included, the stew can be lentil with lamb or lamb with lentils.
Lentil and Feta Cheese Salad by Nava Atlas and Fran Bigelow A few bites to transport you to the Mediterranean.
Historical Examples
Next in usefulness to the haricot bean comes the German lentil.
New Vegetarian DishesMrs. Bowdich
It spontaneously retracted into the lentil, like the horns of a snail.
New observations on the natural history of beesFrancis Huber
When they had lentil soup, how steaming and delicious it was!
Carl and the Cotton GinSara Ware Bassett
Split peas, or "dal," as they are called in India, belong to the lentil family.
The Khaki Kook BookMary Kennedy Core
Theresa, who had gone to bed, sent her a plate of lentil soup.
The Goose ManJacob Wassermann
lentil
- a small annual leguminous plant, Lens culinaris, of the Mediterranean region and W Asia, having edible brownish convex seeds
- any of the seeds of this plant, which are cooked and eaten as a vegetable, in soups, etc
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Word Origin
C13: from Old French lentille, from Latin lenticula, diminutive of lēns lentil
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for lentil
n.
mid-13c., from Old French lentille "lentil," also "freckle," from Latin lenticula, diminutive of Latin lens (genitive lentis) "lentil," cognate with Greek lathyros, German linse, Old Church Slavonic lęšta.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper