a. [ L. lentus; akin to lenis soft, mild: cf. F. lent. See Lenient. ]
n. [ OE. lente, lenten, leynte, AS. lengten, lencten, spring, lent, akin to D. lente, OHG. lenzin, langiz, G. lenz, and perh. fr. AS. lang long, E. long, because at this season of the year the days lengthen. ] (Eccl.) A fast of forty days, beginning with Ash Wednesday and continuing till Easter, observed by some Christian churches as commemorative of the fast of our Savior. [ 1913 Webster ]
Lent lily (Bot.),
imp. & p. p. of Lend. [ 1913 Webster ]
‖adv. [ It. ] (Mus.) Slowly; in slow time. [ 1913 Webster ]
‖a. [ It., p. pr. of lentare to make slow. See Lent, a. ] (Mus.) Slackening; retarding. Same as Rallentando. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. Lent. [ Obs. ] Piers Plowman. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ From OE. lenten lent. See Lent, n. ]
She quenched her fury at the flood,
And with a Lenten salad cooled her blood. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]
Lenten color,
n. The season of Lenten or Lent. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ F. lenticelle, dim. fr. L. lens, lentis, a lentil. Cf. Lentil. ] (Bot.)
a. (Bot.) Producing lenticels; dotted with lenticels. [ 1913 Webster ]