Dictionary

lentil en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈlɛntəl/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English lentile, from Old French lentille from Latin lenticula, diminutive of lēns, from a pre-Indo-European substrate source shared by German Linse, Ancient Greek λάθυρος (láthuros) and Lithuanian lęšis. Doublet of lenticula.

Meanings

1. Any of several plants of the genus Lens, especially Lens culinaris, from southwest Asia, that have edible, lens-shaped seeds within flattened pods.
2. The seed of these plants, used as food.
   • A couple of vegetables, sambar (spicy and sour lentils and vegetables boiled with masalas and spices), rasam (a hot and fiery lentil soup-like dish) and curds (yoghurt) served with heaps of rice and eaten in that order. A non-vegetarian version of the “meals” can be found in “Military” hotels. 2017 July 12, Sanjiv Khamgaonkar, “40 Mumbai foods we can’t live without”, in CNN:
   • In ancient Greece, lentils were believed to stimulate desire. 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 136:
   • make a lentil stew
   • a lentil salad
   • Wild nuts, peas, vetch, a legume which had edible seed pods, and grasses were often combined with pulses like beans or lentils, the most commonly identified ingredient, and at times, wild mustard. To make the plants more palatable, pulses, which have a naturally bitter taste, were soaked, coarsely ground or pounded with stones to remove their husk. 2022 November 22, Katie Hunt, “Neanderthals cooked meals with pulses 70,000 years ago”, in CNN:
3. A small chocolate candy in an edible shell.
   • An enhanced focus on the brand's iconic color palette and the use of different shapes and sizes of M&M'S lentils across all touchpoints to prove that all together, we're more fun 2022 January 20, Mars Corporation, “Iconic M&M'S® Brand Announces Global Commitment to Creating A World Where Everyone Feels They Belong”, in PR Newswire, retrieved 17 Sep 2025:

Forms

Deriveds

Puy lentil · water lentil · soylent · lentil vetch · lentil-like · lentilly · beluga lentil · lentilist · lentil shell · lentilish · lentil-weaver · sea-lentil · Le Puy lentil · lentil-weaving

Relateds

lenticular · split pea · lens

Synonyms

dragée

Translations (172)

ne दाल (seed used as food) · da linse (plant Lens culinaris) · ro linte (plant Lens culinaris) · az mərci (seed used as food) · uk сочеви́ця (plant Lens culinaris) · eo lento (plant Lens culinaris) · bg леща (plant Lens culinaris) · ta மைசூர்ப் பருப்பு (seed used as food) · ca llentia (seed used as food) · fa مرجومک (seed used as food) · fa مرجو (plant Lens culinaris) · id kacang (seed used as food) · cmn 扁豆 (seed used as food) · ar عَدَس (seed used as food) · fi linssi (plant Lens culinaris) · gl lentella (seed used as food) · cs čočka jedlá (plant Lens culinaris) · sv lins (plant Lens culinaris) · tr yasmık (seed used as food) · yi לינדז (seed used as food) · th ถั่ว (seed used as food) · nn linse (seed used as food) · pl soczewica jadalna (plant Lens culinaris) · arz عدس (seed used as food) · lt lęšis (seed used as food) · pt lentilha (plant Lens culinaris) · nds Lins (seed used as food) · pl soczewica (seed used as food) · xcl ոսպն (seed used as food) · ba яҫмыҡ (plant Lens culinaris) · tl lentehas (plant Lens culinaris) · lki نوژی (plant Lens culinaris) · rcf lantiy (seed used as food) · mfe lanti (seed used as food) · izh cecevitsa (seed used as food) · bg леща (seed used as food) · ko 렌즈콩 (seed used as food) · bn ডাল (plant Lens culinaris) · la lēns (plant Lens culinaris) · sl leča (seed used as food) · it lenticchia (plant Lens culinaris) · el φακή (seed used as food) · hi दाल (seed used as food) · nn linse (plant Lens culinaris) · cy corbysen (plant Lens culinaris) · fi linssi (seed used as food) · sq thjerrë (plant Lens culinaris) · lv lēca (seed used as food) · ti ዓደስ (seed used as food) · ba яҫмыҡ (seed used as food) · ta துவரை (plant Lens culinaris) · arz عدس (plant Lens culinaris) · cs čočka (seed used as food) · tt yasmıq (seed used as food) · ko 렌즈콩 (plant Lens culinaris) · rup linti (plant Lens culinaris) · si මසූර් (plant Lens culinaris) · cv ясмӑк (seed used as food) · ug يېسمۇق (seed used as food) · sh leća (plant Lens culinaris) · da linse (seed used as food) · ang lent (seed used as food) · bn মসুর (plant Lens culinaris) · be сачэ́ўка (plant Lens culinaris) · arz عدسة (seed used as food) · az mərcimək (seed used as food) · sl leča (plant Lens culinaris) · fr lentille (plant Lens culinaris) · ky жасмык (seed used as food) · ja ヒラマメ (plant Lens culinaris) · eo lento (seed used as food) · nl linze (plant Lens culinaris) · sh sočivo (plant Lens culinaris) · cmn 扁豆 (plant Lens culinaris) · vec lente (seed used as food) · ko 편두 (seed used as food) · fa مرجومک (plant Lens culinaris) · hu lencse (seed used as food) · ota مردمك (seed used as food) · fa عدس (plant Lens culinaris) · fi kylvövirvilä (plant Lens culinaris) · ky жасмык (plant Lens culinaris) · eu dilista (seed used as food) · mk леќа (plant Lens culinaris) · lij lentìggia (seed used as food) · mzn مرجی (plant Lens culinaris) · ca llentilla (seed used as food) · ka ოსპი (plant Lens culinaris) · is linsubaun (seed used as food) · cmn 小扁豆 (seed used as food) · ast llenteya (seed used as food) · oc lentilha (plant Lens culinaris) · kk жасымық (seed used as food) · nl linzenplant (plant Lens culinaris) · fur lint (seed used as food) · sat ᱢᱤᱥᱨᱤ ᱫᱟᱹᱞ (plant Lens culinaris) · ka ოსპი (seed used as food) · ja 扁豆 (plant Lens culinaris) · pt lentilha (seed used as food) · ang lent (plant Lens culinaris) · uk сочеви́ця (seed used as food) · ja ヒラマメ (seed used as food) · cmn 小扁豆 (plant Lens culinaris) · sh сочиво (plant Lens culinaris) · nl linze (seed used as food) · oc lentilha (seed used as food) · be сачаві́ца (plant Lens culinaris) · sv lins (seed used as food) · sh leća (seed used as food) · ca llentilla (plant Lens culinaris) · cop ⲁⲣϣⲓⲛ (seed used as food) · xcl ոսպն (plant Lens culinaris) · la lens (seed used as food) · nb linse (plant Lens culinaris) · ja レンズ豆 (seed used as food) · tr mercimek (plant Lens culinaris) · gl lentella (plant Lens culinaris) · id kacang adas (plant Lens culinaris) · de Linse (seed used as food) · he עֲדָשָׁה (plant Lens culinaris) · is flatbaun (seed used as food) · sk šošovica (seed used as food) · hi दाल (plant Lens culinaris) · vec lenta (seed used as food) · an lentilla (seed used as food) · kmr nîsk (plant Lens culinaris) · my ပဲနီလေး (seed used as food) · fa عدس (seed used as food) · grc φακός (plant Lens culinaris) · gu મસુર (plant Lens culinaris) · sdh نِژی (plant Lens culinaris) · orv сочевица (plant Lens culinaris) · ru чечеви́ца (plant Lens culinaris) · be сачо́ўка (plant Lens culinaris) · hy ոսպ (plant Lens culinaris) · fur lint (plant Lens culinaris) · vec lent (seed used as food) · ja レンズマメ (plant Lens culinaris) · uk сочови́ця (plant Lens culinaris) · ti ዓደስ (plant Lens culinaris) · ota مردمك (plant Lens culinaris) · es lenteja (plant Lens culinaris) · kmr nîsk (seed used as food) · ar عَدَس (plant Lens culinaris) · el φακή (plant Lens culinaris) · fa مرجو (seed used as food) · hy ոսպ (seed used as food) · mi rētini (seed used as food) · ckb نیسک (plant Lens culinaris) · ru чечеви́ца (seed used as food) · it lenticchia (seed used as food) · nb linse (seed used as food) · de Linse (plant Lens culinaris) · rsk лєнча (plant Lens culinaris) · cy corbysen (seed used as food) · mfe lanti (plant Lens culinaris) · grc φακός (seed used as food) · tr mercimek (seed used as food) · rup pãpudã (plant Lens culinaris) · ro linte (seed used as food) · be сачы́ўка (plant Lens culinaris) · vi đậu lăng (seed used as food) · es lenteja (seed used as food) · tl lentehas (seed used as food) · fr lentille (seed used as food) · ms kacang (seed used as food) · mr मसूर (plant Lens culinaris) · cop ⲁⲣϣⲓⲛ (plant Lens culinaris) · uz yasmiq (seed used as food) · nah caxtillan pitzahuac etl (seed used as food) · izh cecevitsa (plant Lens culinaris) · kn ಮಸೂರ ಅವರೆ (seed used as food)