dal

noun

\ ˈdäl

How to pronounce dal (audio)

\

variants: or dahl or dhal or less commonly dholl

Definition of dal

(Entry 1 of 2)

: dried legumes (such as lentils, beans, or peas) also : an Indian dish made of simmered and usually pureed and spiced legumes

dal

abbreviation

variants: or less commonly daL

Definition of dal (Entry 2 of 2)

dekaliter

Examples of dal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun The menu features spicy beef rendang, yellow split pea dal with fried curry leaves, curry laksa noodle soup, African peanut curry and chicken masala curry puffs. — Los Angeles Times, "La Morra opens takeout pizza window; Wah’s Golden Hen closes in Virgil Village," 29 Dec. 2020 This Indian flatbread — perfect for scooping up dal or butter chicken sauce — doesn’t even require yeast, just baking powder. — Washington Post, "Our top 10 baking recipes of 2020 featured cake, pie and a whole bunch of bread," 19 Dec. 2020 Or serve them with a meal to scoop up veggies or meat, or with a bowl of dal. — Leena Trivedi-grenier, SFChronicle.com, "Virtual cooking with friends, family is one of the last good ways to Zoom," 11 Dec. 2020 These break down very well and rather quickly, which is why they’re often used for Indian dal. — Washington Post, "A guide to lentils: How to choose and use the tiny protein-packed powerhouses," 2 Nov. 2020 Murukku is a crunchy, sometimes spicy snack made with rice and urad dal flour mixed with water, spices and sometimes seeds, then deep fried. — Priscilla Totiyapungprasert, The Arizona Republic, "'The spicier the better': This AZ family celebrates Diwali with fireworks and fried snacks," 12 Nov. 2020 Other cultures seem to have a better grip on how wonderful lentils are, especially in India, where dal (the term can refer to the lentils themselves or the dish made with them) is a staple. — Washington Post, "A guide to lentils: How to choose and use the tiny protein-packed powerhouses," 2 Nov. 2020 The matriarch of the Patel family keeps a pot of dal on the stove. — Nikita Stewart And Todd Heisler Elaine Chen And Nikita Stewart, New York Times, "1.5 Million New Yorkers Can’t Afford Food. Pantries Are Their Lifeline.," 20 Oct. 2020 Every Indian kitchen revolves around fresh spices and herbs, and Stuart’s is the same, with fresh herbs in the basmati rice and bits of curry leaf and tomato adding nuance to his dal, the staple dish of stewed yellow lentils. — Beth D'addono, NOLA.com, "Plume Algiers serves regional Indian dishes," 7 Sep. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about dal

Dictionary Entries near dal

Statistics for dal

Last Updated

12 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Dal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dal. Accessed 5 Mar. 2021.

Style: MLA

MLA

Chicago

APA

Merriam-Webster

WORD OF THE DAY

abhor

Listen to the pronunciation of abhor

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Who Knew?

What is a ruelle?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ

Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ