Lent
nounproper nouncommon in dialogue
- //lɛnt//
A period of the ecclesiastical year preceding Easter, traditionally involving temporary abstention from certain foods and pleasures.
noun
- 1
A period of the ecclesiastical year preceding Easter, traditionally involving temporary abstention from certain foods and pleasures.
Hezekiah gave up vaping for Lent.
- 2
A period of the ecclesiastical year preceding Easter, traditionally involving temporary abstention from certain foods and pleasures. The 40 days preceding Lazarus Saturday, the Saturday preceding Holy Week.
- 3
A period of the ecclesiastical year preceding Easter, traditionally involving temporary abstention from certain foods and pleasures. The 46 days preceding Easter, reckoned as 40 days by excluding Sundays.
- 4
vassa, period of the Buddhist lent during the rainy season
- 5
Variant of Lent termEllipsis of Lent term.
Etymology
Shortened form of Lenten, from Old English lencten, from Proto-West Germanic *langatīn (“spring”), as in a season into which days lengthen as it progresses. Cognate with Alemannic German langsé, Langssi (“spring”), Bavarian longas, lòngas, longast (“spring”), Cimbrian langaz, langhes, långez (“spring”), lentz (“March”), Dutch lente (“spring”), German Lenz, Lenze (“spring”), Mòcheno langes (“spring”).
proper noun
- 1
A surname.
Etymology
Two main origins: * Reduced form of Dutch van Lent, a habitational surname for someone from Lent, in Gelderland. * Perhaps an Americanized spelling of German Lenth, from a personal name related to the noun Land.
Forms
- plural
- Lents
Lent · A period of the ecclesiastical year preceding Easter, traditionally involving temporary abstention from certain foods and pleasures.
leo · A fairy chess piece which moves analogously to the xiangqi…Leo · A male given name from Latin, borne by numerous saints and 14…Leon · A male given name from Latin or Ancient Greek.