Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

cowpea

American  
[kou-pee] / ˈkaʊˌpi /

noun

  1. a plant, Vigna unguiculata, extensively cultivated in the southern U.S. for forage, soil improvement, etc.

  2. the seed of this plant, used for food.

cowpea British  
/ ˈkaʊˌpiː /

noun

  1. a leguminous tropical climbing plant, Vigna sinensis, producing long pods containing edible pealike seeds: grown for animal fodder and sometimes as human food

  2. Also called: black-eyed pea.  the seed of this plant

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of cowpea

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20; cow 1 + pea 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Cowpea for Hay.—The hay is one of our most palatable feeding-stuffs.

From Crops and Methods for Soil Improvement by Agee, Alva

Cowpea Hay and grain Annual Used for hay, green manure, and pastures.

From Agriculture for Beginners Revised Edition by Burkett, Charles William

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.