beach pea

Word Origin

noun

either of two plants of the legume family, Lathyrus japonicus, of seashores of the North Temperate Zone, or L. littoralis, of the temperate western coast of North America, both having oblong leaves and clusters of pealike flowers.

Origin of beach pea

1795-1805

An Americanism dating back to 1795-1805

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.
Cite This Source

Examples from the Web for beach pea

Historical Examples

The first man for four days lay coiled up in the pod of the beach pea.

Myths and Legends of Alaska Various
He liked the beach pea, (Lathyrus maritimus,) cooked green, as well as the cultivated.

Atlantic Monthly, Volume 14, No. 84, October, 1864 Various

Discover our greatest slideshows

Browse more topics on our blog

What Is the Difference Between Discreet and Discrete?
Learn the correct uses of these two commonly confused homophones.
What Character Was Removed from the Alphabet?
What mistaken pronunciation gave this character its name?
Apostrophes 101
This small mark has two primary uses: to signify possession or omitted letters.
How Do I Get a Word into the Dictionary?
People invent new words all the time, but which ones actually make it?

beach pea

Discover our greatest slideshows

Six words that can ruin your...

10 Of The Saddest Words (Or...

The Oldest Words In The English...

10 Words That Will Show Your Age

Browse more topics on our blog

Word of the Day

Nearby words for beach pea

Word Value for beach