Lent (a middle-English word for Spring), often known as ‘Great Lent’, is the period of fasting in preparation for Pascha (Easter). It is also sometimes known as the ‘Great Fast’. Among English-speaking Orthodox, the word ‘Lent’ is sometimes used to mean any period of fasting, and ‘Great Lent’ is therefore often used to distinguish the fast leading up to Pascha from other fasting periods.
For more information: orthodoxwiki.org/Lent