Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Pea
Pea
,Noun.
pl.
Peas
(pēz)
or Pease
(pēz)
. [OE.
pese
, fr. AS. pisa
, or OF. peis
, F. pois
; both fr. L. pisum
; cf. Gr. πίσος
, πίσον
. The final s was misunderstood in English as a plural ending. Cf. Pease
.] 1.
(Bot.)
A plant, and its fruit, of the genus
Pisum
, of many varieties, much cultivated for food. It has a papilionaceous flower, and the pericarp is a legume, popularly called a pod
. ☞ When a definite number, more than one, is spoken of, the plural form peas is used; as, the pod contained nine peas; but, in a collective sense, the form pease is preferred; as, a bushel of pease; they had pease at dinner. This distinction is not always preserved, the form peas being used in both senses.
2.
A name given, especially in the Southern States, to the seed of several leguminous plants (species of
Dolichos
, Cicer
, Abrus
, etc.) esp. those having a scar (hilum) of a different color from the rest of the seed. ☞ The name pea is given to many leguminous plants more or less closely related to the common pea. See the Phrases, below.
Beach pea
(Bot.)
, a seashore plant,
– Lathyrus maritimus
. Black-eyed pea
, a West Indian name for
– Dolichos sphærospermus
and its seed. Butterfly pea
, the American plant
– Clitoria Mariana
, having showy blossoms. Chick pea
. See
– Chick-pea
. Egyptian pea
. Same as
– Chick-pea
. Everlasting pea
. See under
– Everlasting
. Glory pea
. See under
– Glory
, Noun.
Hoary pea
, any plant of the genus
– Tephrosia
; goat’s rue. Issue pea
, Orris pea
(Med.)
– Milk pea
. (Bot.)
See under
– Milk
. Pea berry
, a kind of a coffee bean or grain which grows single, and is round or pea-shaped; often used adjectively;
– as,
. pea-berry
coffeePea bug
. (Zool.)
Same as
– Pea weevil
. Pea coal
, a size of coal smaller than nut coal.
– Pea crab
(Zool.)
, any small crab of the genus
– Pinnotheres
, living as a commensal in bivalves; esp., the European species (Pinnotheres pisum
) which lives in the common mussel and the cockle. Pea dove
(Zool.)
, the American ground dove.
– Pea-flower tribe
(Bot.)
, a suborder (
Papilionaceæ
) of leguminous plants having blossoms essentially like that of the pea. G. Bentham.
– Pea maggot
(Zool.)
, the larva of a European moth (
– Tortrix pisi
), which is very destructive to peas. Pea ore
(Min.)
, argillaceous oxide of iron, occurring in round grains of a size of a pea; pisolitic ore.
– Pea starch
, the starch or flour of the common pea, which is sometimes used in adulterating wheat flour, pepper, etc.
– Pea tree
(Bot.)
, the name of several leguminous shrubs of the genus
– Caragana
, natives of Siberia and China. Pea vine
. (Bot.)
(a)
Any plant which bears peas
. (b)
A kind of vetch or tare, common in the United States (
– Lathyrus Americana
, and other similar species). Pea weevil
(Zool.)
, a small weevil (
– Bruchus pisi
) which destroys peas by eating out the interior. Pigeon pea
. (Bot.)
See
– Pigeon pea
. Sweet pea
(Bot.)
, the annual plant
Lathyrus odoratus
; also, its many-colored, sweet-scented blossoms.Webster 1828 Edition
Pea
PEA
,Noun.