dal

1 of 2

noun

variants or dahl or dhal or less commonly dholl
: dried legumes (such as lentils, beans, or peas)
also : an Indian dish made of simmered and usually pureed and spiced legumes

dal

2 of 2

abbreviation

variants or less commonly daL
dekaliter

Examples of dal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This one stars moong dal, also known as split yellow lentils. Washington Post, 27 Nov. 2023 Head to the Indian spice sections at Patel Brothers or Apna Bazar, and get your hands on black cardamom pods, mustard seeds, ghee, and all kinds of dal (split black lentils, pigeon peas, chickpeas) to bring back to your kitchen. Caroline Shin, Bon Appétit, 13 Oct. 2023 Khan’s dal is thick rather than soupy, but cloudlike in texture. Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2023 Her latest book, which also includes streamlined Indian curries and dals, offers tips for using Indian spices even when not cooking Indian food, per se: slipping a pinch of garam masala into cookie dough or pie crust, or brushing ghee and chai spices on pineapple before grilling it. Ann Maloney, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023 Something about that juxtaposition—Aristotle in the mornings, clumsy pots of dal in the evenings—has inured me to all visions of moral philosophy as a simple variety of self-help. Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023 The diet My mom used to work 12-hour shifts in a factory, come home, and make bhaji, chapati, rice, and dal every day for us. Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 23 Mar. 2023 Think of the comfort of a steamy bowl of dal, or the hearty mushiness of diner lentil soup. Antara Sinha, Bon Appétit, 2 Dec. 2022 Red and Yellow These sweet, quick cooking lentils are the classic go-to for delicious Indian dal. Christina Manian, Rdn, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Hindi & Urdu dāl

First Known Use

Noun

1673, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dal was in 1673

Dictionary Entries Near dal

Cite this Entry

“Dal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dal. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.

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