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Glite Dictionary
obento

obento

9.3
A Japanese box lunch with different foods arranged neatly like rice and fish
  • noun
  • /oʊˈbɛntoʊ/
: bento
  • As an experienced obento maker, I can attest to the intense attention and energy devoted to this one chore.
  • make obento
  • obento box
  • food in an obento

Examples

  • The attentiveness displayed otherwise in her mothering was exemplified most fully in Minami's obentos.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Food in an obento is an everyday practice of Japanese life.

    Academic text (1991)

  • The obento is filled with the meaning of mother and home in a number of ways.

    Academic text (1991)

  • She prepared a colorful obento for her child to take to school.

  • Japanese culture places great importance on the presentation of obento boxes during lunchtime.

  • The obento included rice, vegetables, and fish arranged artfully.

Synonyms

lunchbox
vsobento
16 1.0

A container for carrying food to eat at work or school

focuses on a culturally Japanese meal arranged attractively
bento
vsobento
2 5.3

A Japanese boxed meal with rice, meat or fish and vegetables

arranges various foods attractively and neatly inside the box
dabba
vsobento
  • Indian
9.8

A metal container used to carry a hot homemade lunch

focuses on varied foods attractively arranged inside the meal container

How Varied

obento
9.3
sandwich
872 1.0
snack
440 1.0

Surface Forms

obento singular
obentos plural

Etymology

The word obento comes from Japanese: the polite o- plus bento, which means a 'boxed meal' or 'lunch'. So an obento is a carefully made, neatly arranged lunch in a box, like a Japanese 'lunchbox'.