pea

¹

[pee]

noun

plural

peas ,

plural

pease, peasen .

1. the round, edible seed of a widely cultivated plant, Pisum sativum, of the legume family.

2. the plant itself.

3. the green, somewhat inflated pod of this plant.

4. any of various related or similar plants or their seed, as the chickpea.

5. something resembling a pea, especially in being small and round.

adjective

1. pertaining to, growing, containing, or cooked with peas.

   We cultivated some tomato vines and a pea patch.

2. small or small and round (usually used in combination).

3. pea coal.

pea

²

[pee]

noun

Nautical.

1. bill.

pea

/ piː /

noun

1. an annual climbing leguminous plant, Pisum sativum, with small white flowers and long green pods containing edible green seeds: cultivated in temperate regions

2. 1. the seed of this plant, eaten as a vegetable

   2. ( as modifier )

      pea soup

3. any of several other leguminous plants, such as the sweet pea, chickpea, and cowpea

Other Word Forms

• pealike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pea¹

First recorded in 1660–70; back formation from pease, taken as plural

Origin of pea²

First recorded in 1825–35; perhaps short for peak ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of pea¹

C17: from _pease (incorrectly assumed to be a plural)

Idioms and Phrases

see like as two peas in a pod.

Example Sentences

Corkscrew pasta with spring vegetables — peas, maybe some asparagus, curls of lemon zest — topped with herbed breadcrumbs and a horseradish cream sauce.

From Salon

Rex is allergic is to peas and lentils - ingredients you would not commonly expect to find in a hot cross bun.

From BBC

Based on their frequency, severity, recurrence, and potential for hidden exposure, the top four new ones are goat's and sheep's milk, buckwheat, peas and lentil, and pine nuts.

From BBC

“No. I was out Monday, and I didn’t see any algae. If it’s bad, it looks like pea soup.”

From Salon

Farmers fear there will be a shortage of British-grown peas in supermarket freezers after long spells of sunshine and dry weather resulted in the earliest harvest in 14 years.

From BBC

Related Words

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• frock 
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