ben⋅to
/ˈbɛn
toʊ; Japn. ˈbɛntɔ/ 
Show Spelled Pronunciation [ben-toh; Japn. ben-taw] Show IPA –noun, plural -tos; Japanese. -to. Japanese Cookery. | a meal, usually served in a lacquered or elaborately decorated box that is divided into sections for holding individual portions of food. |
Origin: < Japn
bentō, prob. < MChin, equiv. to Chin
bān manage, provide +
dāng apply, i.e., provision for an eat-out meal
o·ben·to (ō-běn'tō)
n.
pl. o·ben·tos or ben·tos
A Japanese meal that is packed in a partitioned lacquered box.
[Japanese obentō : o-, politeness pref. + bentō, box lunch.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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| Main Entry: | obento |
| Part of Speech: | n |
| Definition: | See bento box |
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