Lent
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See also: lent
English
Etymology 1
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. Related to German Lenz and Dutch lente (“springtime”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /lɛnt/
- Rhymes: -ɛnt
- Homophones: leant, lent, lint (with pin-pen merger)
Noun
Lent (plural Lents)
- (Christianity) A period of the ecclesiastical year preceding Easter, traditionally involving temporary abstention from certain foods and pleasures.
- Hezekiah gave up vaping for Lent.
- (UK, education) Ellipsis of Lent term.
- (Buddhism, Myanmar) vassa, period of the Buddhist lent during the rainy season
Synonyms
- (Christianity): Lententide, Lent season, Lenten season, season of Lent, Quadragesima
- (Eastern Christianity): Great Lent
- (educational): Lent term
Hypernyms
- (Christianity): liturgical season, carene (rare)
Hyponyms
- (Roman Catholicism): Ash Wednesday (1st day), Quadragesima Sunday (1st Sunday), Reminiscere Sunday (2nd Sunday), Oculi Sunday (3rd Sunday), Laetare Sunday (4th Sunday), Passion Sunday (5th Sunday), Palm Sunday (6th Sunday), Holy Saturday (last day) (see terms for synonyms)
- (Eastern Orthodoxy): Clean Monday (1st day), Lazarus Friday (last day)
Translations
Christian period of penitence before Easter
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Etymology 2
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.
Proper noun
Lent (plural Lents)
- A surname.
Statistics
- According to the 2010 United States Census, Lent is the 7652nd most common surname in the United States, belonging to 4341 individuals. Lent is most common among White (93.16%) individuals.
Further reading
- Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Lent”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 2, New York City: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 423.
Dutch
Etymology
First attested as in lente in 1196. Etymology uncertain. Potentially derived from Proto-Germanic *linditja- (“linden grove”), from *lindu, or dialectal lent (“quay where peat is stacked for transport”). Compare Lenthe and Linde.
Pronunciation
Proper noun
Lent n
- A village and former municipality of Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands.
- Synonym: Kikkergat (Carnival nickname)
Derived terms
References
- van Berkel, Gerard, Samplonius, Kees (2018) Nederlandse plaatsnamen verklaard (in Dutch), Mijnbestseller.nl, →ISBN