lentil

IPA/ˈlentl/
KK[lˈɛntəl]IPA/ˈlentl/

lentil — noun

  • lentilsingular
  • lentilsplural

1. a small, round, flat seed that grows in a pod and is dried for use as food. Lent

1.nounB1
Definition

a small, round, flat seed that grows in a pod and is dried for use as food. Lentils come in several colours such as green, brown, red, and yellow, and are often added to soups, stews, and salads.

Example

The chef soaked the lentils in water before adding them to the soup.

collocation: soak lentils

My grandmother makes a hearty lentil soup with carrots and onions every winter.

collocation: lentil soup

Common collocations
  • soak lentils
  • cook lentils
  • boil lentils
  • red lentils / green lentils / brown lentils
  • lentil soup
  • lentil stew
  • lentil curry
Synonyms
  • pulse

    a more technical term for the dried seeds of legumes, including lentils, chickpeas, and dried beans

  • legume

    a broader category that includes lentils as well as fresh beans and peas

Usage Note

Lentil is countable but most commonly appears in the plural form (lentils) when referring to the food ingredient in general. The singular form (a lentil) is used when referring to one individual seed.

Common Mistakes

I cooked a lentil for dinner.
I cooked lentils for dinner.
lentils are almost always used in the plural when talking about the dish or ingredient.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Lentil, legume, pulse, bean, and dhal all refer to plant seeds used as food, but they are not interchangeable. 'Legume' is the broadest term, covering the entire Fabaceae plant family — including fresh peas, green beans, and the plants themselves. 'Pulse' is a more specific term for the dried seeds of legumes used in cooking, so lentils, chickpeas, and dried kidney beans are all pulses, but fresh green beans are not. 'Bean' usually refers to larger seeds such as black beans or kidney beans that are eaten whole and need longer cooking, while lentils are smaller, flatter, and cook much faster. 'Dhal' (also spelled dal) refers specifically to dried split lentils or peas used in South Asian cooking, as well as the finished dish. For example: 'She bought red lentils to make soup' (raw seed) versus 'She cooked a spicy dhal for dinner' (the prepared dish).

legume ↗pulse ↗bean ↗dhal

Common collocations

Nouns

  • lentil soup
  • lentil stew
  • lentil curry
  • lentil salad

Phrases

  • a bag of lentils
  • a cup of lentils
  • a bowl of lentils

Prepositions

  • with lentils
  • in lentils

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'lentil' came into English from Old French 'lentille', which derives from Latin 'lenticula', a diminutive of 'lens' (meaning 'lentil'). The Latin word also gave us 'lens' for eyeglasses — because a biconvex glass lens looks like the shape of a lentil seed.