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; see 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

Genetic analyses show that many of the lentil varieties grown on the islands today descend from lentils brought by Indigenous settlers from North Africa in the 200s.

From Science Daily • Nov. 26, 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

I opted for stews and soups infused with spices such as ginger, turmeric and cinnamon, particularly Harrington’s red lentil dal recipe.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 14, 2024

They walked among the lentil fields to a mysterious mounded shrine encircled by large smooth stones.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye