sb. and a. Forms: α. 1 lencton, leng(c)ten, lenten, -on, 2 læng-, lengten, 2–3 leinten, 3 læncten, Orm. lenntenn, 4 lentene, -in, -oun, 4–5 lentone, 5 lentyn(ne, 5–7 lenton, 4– lenten. β. Sc. and north. 4 lenteryne, lentrine, 4–5 lentryn(e, 4–6, 9 lentrin, lentrone, 5 lenterne, lentyren, 6 lantern, lentern, lenterane, lentran, lentren(e, lentroun, 6–7 lentron. [OE. lęncten str. masc. corresponds to MDu. lentin, OHG. lengizin (mânôth), shortened lenzin; app. a derivative or a compound of the shorter synonym which appears as MLG., MDu., Du. lente fem., OHG. langiz, langaz str. masc. (MHG. langez, mod.Ger. dialects langis, etc.), also OHG. lenzo wk. masc. (MHG. lenze, mod.G. lenz). The shorter form (? OTeut. type *laŋgito-, *laŋgiton-) seems to be a derivative of *laŋgo- LONG a., and may possibly have reference to the lengthening of the days as characterizing the season of spring. It is doubtful whether the ending of the longer form is a mere derivative suffix, or whether it represents an OTeut. *tino- day, cognate with *-tîno- in Goth. sinteins daily, and with Skr. dina, OSl. dĭnĭ, Lith. dēnà day.
The ecclesiastical sense of the word is peculiar to Eng.; in the other Teut. langs. the only sense is ‘spring.’ As an ordinary sb. lenten has been superseded by the shortened form LENT sb.1; but the longer form has survived in attributive use, and is now apprehended as an adj., as if f. lent + -EN4.
With the β forms cf. the ONorthumbrian éfern = WS. ǽfen, fæstern = fæsten, wéstern = wésten.]
† A. As separate sb. Obs.; superseded by LENT sb.1
1. Spring; = LENT sb.1 1.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 148. Nis nan blodlæstid swa god swa on foreweardne lencten.
a. 1100. Gerefa, in Anglia (1886), IX. 262. On længtene ereʓian and impian.
c. 1200. Ormin, 8891. Illke Lenntenn forenn þeȝȝ Till Ȝerrsalæmess chesstre Aȝȝ att te Passkemessedaȝȝ.
c. 1205. [see LENT sb.1 1].
a. 1310. in Wright, Lyric P., 43. Lenten ys come with love to toune.
2. = LENT sb.1 2. Also clean lenten. Lenten’s day: ? Easter-day.
α. a. 1023. Wulfstan, Hom., lviii. (Napier), 305. Þe ma, þe man mot on lenctene … flæsces brucan.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 70. Holdeð silence … iðe leinten þreo dawes.
1340. Ayenb., 175. Efterward ine one time þanne in an-oþre ase in lenten oþer in ane heȝe messedaye.
1389. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 106. Ye secounde [morwespeche] shal bene ye first sunday of lentone.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XIV. 81. To lene ne to lere ne lentenes to faste.
14[?]. Customs Malton, in Surtees Misc. (1888), 60. Exceppyd Burgese þt sellys heryng in Lentyn.
a. 1450. Myrc, 75. Leste he forȝet by lentenes day [v.r. ester day].
1492. Bury Wills (Camden), 74. I wole that the seyd prest abyde in Rome alle Lenton.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, I. 2083. Truly for to fast the holy tyme of Lenton.
1553. Becon, Reliques of Rome (1563), 244. The fyrst Sonday in cleane lenton.
β. 1375. Barbour, Bruce, X. 815. Fra the lenteryne, that is to say, Quhill forrouth the Saint Iohnnis mes.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xviii. (Egipciane), 1135. Þe next lentryn, quhen begonnyn was þe fastine.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VIII. xvii. 2698. At Sayntandrewys than bad he, And held hys Lentyren in reawté.
c. 1470. Henryson, Mor. Fab., IX. (Wolf & Fox), viii. ‘Schir,’ said the fox, ‘it is lenterne, ye see; I can not fische.’
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xii. 1. Off Lentren in the first mornyng.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scot. (1821), I. xxiv. Passand, in the time of Lentroun, throw the seis Mediterrane, ay selland thair fische.
1562. Winȝet, Cert. Tractates, iii. Wks. 1888, I. 27. The ȝeirlie abstinence of fourty dayis afore Pasche, callit Lentren.
1637–50. Row, Hist. Kirk (Wodrow Soc.), 7. On a Sabbath day in the tyme of Lentron.
B. attrib. and as adj.
1. Of or pertaining to Lent, observed or taking place in Lent, as in Lenten day, discipline, fast, indult, lecture, pastoral, penance, sermon tide, time.
c. 1020. Rule St. Benet, xli. (Logeman), 73. On lænctene fæsten oð eastran.
c. 1050. Byrhtferth’s Handboc, in Anglia (1885), VIII. 312. Uer ys lengten tima.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 25. In leinten time uwilc mon gað to scrifte.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 12921. Til he had fasten his lententide.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 514/1. By these tradicions haue we the holy Lenton faste.
1563. Winȝet, Four Score Thre Quest., Wks. 1888, I. 127. Quhy obeyt ȝe nocht ȝour selfis the last lentrene tyme ȝour magistratis.
a. 1572. Knox, Hist. Ref., Wks. 1846, I. 46. Sermones hie had tawght befoir the haill Lentrantyde preceding.
1610. Willet, Hexapla Dan., 39. Pintus vpon this example groundeth the lenten-fast of 40. daies.
1628. W. Pemble, Worthy Receiv. Lord’s Supper, 16. As Popish Postillers and Preachers doe in their Lenton Sermons.
1638. Shirley, Duke’s Mistress, II. C 4. To read morrall virtue, And lenton Lectures to you.
1644. Milton, Areop. (Arb.), 42. And perhaps it was the same politick drift that the Divell whipt St. Jerom in a lenten dream, for reading Cicero.
1703. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus. (1732), 75. This being the day in which their Lenten disciplines expir’d.
1812. Byron, Ch. Har., II. lxxviii. Yet mark their mirth—ere lenten days begin.
1876. Spurgeon, Commenting, 94. To listen to these sermons must have afforded a suitable Lenten penance to those who went to church to hear them.
1901. Edin. Rev., April, 440, note. The Lenten Pastoral Letters of the Catholic Bishops have appeared, containing the customary denunciation of drunkenness, ‘the great crime of the Irish people.’
2. Such as is appropriate to Lent; hence of provisions, diet, etc., such as may be used in Lent, meager; of clothing, expression of countenance, etc., mournful-looking, dismal.
1577–87. Holinshed, Chron., II. Descr. Scot., 7/2. For the Lenten prouision of such nations as lie vpon the Levant seas.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., I. v. 9. A good lenton answer. Ibid. (1602), Ham., II. ii. 329. To thinke, my Lord, if you delight not in Man, what Lenton entertainment the Players shall receiue from you.
1613. Beaum. & Fl., Honest Man’s Fort., IV. i. Who can reade In thy pale face, dead eye, or lenten shute, The liberty thy ever giving hand Hath bought for others.
1660–1. Pepys, Diary, 10 March. Dined at home on a poor Lenten dinner of colewurts and bacon.
1687. Dryden, Hind & P., III. 27. Meanwhile she … with a lenten salad cooled her blood.
1722. Prol. to Steele’s Conscious Lovers. Believe me ’tis a Lean, a Lenten Dish.
1745. Wesley, Wks. (1872), I. 489. He was welcome … if he could live on our lenten fare.
1750. Carte, Hist. Eng., II. 702. There were large quantities of Lenten food, particularly herrings.
1840. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Ser. I. St. Nicholas, xiv. His lenten fare now let me share.
1855. Browning, Twins, v. For Dabitur’s lenten face No wonder if Date rue.
3. Special combs. and collocations: † lenten-chaps, contemptuously applied to a person with a lean visage; † lenten-cloth = Lent-cloth (LENT sb.1 4); Lenten-corn, corn sown about Lent; lenten-faced a., lean and dismal of countenance; lenten fig, † (a) a dried fig; (b) dial. a raisin; Lenten-grain = lenten-corn; lenten-kail Sc., broth made without meat; Lenten lily rare = Lent-lily (LENT sb.1 4); lenten man nonce-wd., an observer of Lent; lenten pie, a pie containing no meat; † lenten stuff, provisions suitable for Lent; † lenten top, some kind of toy, ? used at Shrovetide; Lenten-veil = lent-cloth (Cent. Dict., 1889).
1622. Fletcher, Sp. Curate, V. ii. I’ll have my swindge upon thee; Sirha! Rascall! You *lenten Chaps, you that lay sick, and mockt me.
1485. Inv., in J. M. Cowper, Churchw. Acc. St. Dunstan’s, Canterbury, xii. j *Lentyncloth called a vayle.
1546–7. in Swayne, Churchw. Acc. Sarum (1896), 274. vij yardes of Oscon brigges for to make Seynt Thomas a lenton’ clothe at iiijd the yarde.
14[?]. Tretyce, in W. of Henley’s Husb. (1890), 44. *Lenten corne as … otys pecys barly & soyche oþer graynes.
1901. Times, 11 Feb., 3/1. The soil has been so chilled that warm seed-beds for Lenten corn are likely to be the exception.
1604. T. M., Black Bk., C 1 b. Hee … was conducted through two or three hungry roomes … by a *Lenten faced Fellow.
1611. Cotgr., Figue de Caresme, a drie fig, a *Lenten fig.
1669. Worlidge, Syst. Agric. (1681), 266. This is a principal Seed-month for such they usually call *Lenten-Grain.
1805. A. Scott, Lentrin Kail, Poems 39 (Jam.). O *lentrin kail, meed of my younger days.
1820. Scott, Abbot, xiv. Monks … are merriest … when they sup beef-brewis for lenten-kail.
1896. A. E. Housman, Shropshire Lad, xxix. And there’s the *Lenten lily That … dies on Easter day.
1698. M. Lister, Journ. Paris (1699), 21. And the Flesh Eaters will ever defend themselves, if not beat the *Lenten Men.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., II. iv. 139. No Hare sir; vnlesse a Hare sir in a *Lenten pie.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 638. *Lentyn stuffe for ye vytaylynge of hyr hoost.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VI. (1809), 147. The most part of the carriage was heryng & Lenten stuffe.
1630. J. Taylor (Water P.), Praise Cleane Linen, Wks. II. 169/1. Round like a whirligigge or *lenten Top.
