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
Examples of dal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Jhumpa Lahiri, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
Others are drawn to the color’s comforting associations—like a handful of barbacoa in a supple tortilla, a steamy plate of dal, a square of chocolate—because our mind tells us these foods are safely cooked and invite savoring.
—Bedatri D. Choudhury, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025
Quinn took things further: What about tinting the rice with turmeric (instead of the traditional saffron) and stuffing it with dal or a chickpea curry for an Indian-style take?
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2025
Smith signed a $100 million, five-year dal with ESPN earlier this year.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dal
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Why else, the night Mrs. Palit invited us to dinner, did my eyes fall on suspicious dark objects, not much larger than prominent flecks of salt, in the dal?
—Jhumpa Lahiri, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
Others are drawn to the color’s comforting associations—like a handful of barbacoa in a supple tortilla, a steamy plate of dal, a square of chocolate—because our mind tells us these foods are safely cooked and invite savoring.
—Bedatri D. Choudhury, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025
Quinn took things further: What about tinting the rice with turmeric (instead of the traditional saffron) and stuffing it with dal or a chickpea curry for an Indian-style take?
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 June 2025
Smith signed a $100 million, five-year dal with ESPN earlier this year.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dal
Cite this Entry
“Dal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dal. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share