Lent

Meaning

Noun

• A period of the ecclesiastical year preceding Easter, traditionally involving temporary abstention from certain foods and pleasures.
• The second term of the academic year at some British schools.

Related

Similar words

• Lententide, Lent season, Lenten season, season of Lent, Quadragesima
• Great Lent
• Lent term

Narrower meaning words

• Ash Wednesday , Quadragesima Sunday , Reminiscere Sunday , Oculi Sunday , Laetare Sunday , Passion Sunday , Palm Sunday , Holy Saturday
• Clean Monday , Lazarus Friday

Origin

• 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").