vetch

American  

[vech] / vɛtʃ /

noun

1. any of several mostly climbing plants belonging to the genus Vicia, of the legume family, having pinnate leaves ending in tendrils and bearing pealike flowers, especially V. sativa spring vetch, cultivated for forage and soil improvement.

2. any of various allied plants, as Lathyrus sativus, of Europe, cultivated for their edible seeds and for forage.

3. the beanlike seed or fruit of any such plant.

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vetch British  

/ vɛtʃ /

noun

1. any of various climbing leguminous plants of the temperate genus Vicia, esp V. sativa, having pinnate leaves, typically blue or purple flowers, and tendrils on the stems

2. any of various similar and related plants, such as Lathyrus sativus, cultivated in parts of Europe, and the kidney vetch

3. the beanlike fruit of any of these plants

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• vetchlike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of vetch

1325–75; Middle English ve ( c ) che < Anglo-French; Old French vecce ( French vesce ) < Latin vicia

Example Sentences

However it was a different story when West Ham visited the Vetch Field on 13 January.

From BBC • Jan. 7, 2024

In 1926, Town were a mere 14 years old when they knocked The Arsenal, chasing the title under their new manager Herbert Chapman, out in the quarters at Vetch Field.

From The Guardian • Mar. 17, 2018

Big Yellow founders Nicholas Vetch, Philip Burks and James Gibson had already made a fortune in retail property.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2014

That’s a huge victory,” Katriona Vetch, an activist in Balcombe, said by telephone.

From New York Times • Aug. 16, 2013

It did not seem so hospitable a place as Vetch had said.

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin