Standard Lemma guide

bento

noun · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈbɛntəʊ/
  • General-American: /ˈbɛnˌtoʊ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛntəʊ
  • CMU ARPABET: B EH1 N T OW0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box, often with the food arranged into an elaborate design.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: also, attributive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bento box

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Synonym of bento box (“a partitioned, traditionally lacquered, lunchbox in which a Japanese takeaway lunch is served”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bento box

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A generic meal packed in a disposable bento box.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Singapore, broadly

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A menu icon of nine squares in a grid.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, graphical-user-interface, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A layout consisting of cards arranged in a modular, irregularly partitioned grid.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, graphical-user-interface, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 弁(べん)当(とう) (bentō). Doublet of biandang.

Across languages

Translations

20 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: بِنْتُو (bintū) — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Arabic: بِنْتُو (bentō) — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Chinese Cantonese: 飯盒 /饭盒 — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Chinese: 便當 /便当 (zh-min-nan) — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Chinese Mandarin: 便當 /便当 (biàndang) — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Chinese Mandarin: 飯盒 /饭盒 (fànhé) — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Chinese Mandarin: 盒飯 /盒饭 (héfàn) — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Indonesian: bento — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Japanese: 弁当 (bentō) — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Japanese: お弁当 (o-bentō) — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Korean: 벤토 (bento) — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Marathi: बेन्तो (bento) — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Persian: بنتو (bentô) — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Polish: bentō — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Portuguese: bentô — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Russian: бэнто́ (bɛntó) — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Russian: бенто́ (bɛntó) — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Thai: เบ็นโต (ben-dtoo) — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Vietnamese: cơm hộp — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box
  • Vietnamese: bento — Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box