fava bean

[fah-vuh]

noun

1. a plant, Vicia faba, native to the Old World, bearing large pods containing edible seeds.

2. the seed or pod of this plant.

fava bean

/ ˈfɑːvə /

noun

1. an erect annual Eurasian bean plant, Vicia faba , cultivated for its large edible flattened seeds, used as a vegetable

2. the seed of this plant

Word History and Origins

Origin of fava bean¹

1940–45; < Italian < Latin faba bean

Word History and Origins

Origin of fava bean¹

C20: Italian fava from Latin faba bean

Example Sentences

Mr. Branagh also has a lot of fun rolling through the diphthongs in Hannibal Lecter’s notorious line, “I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And what about the famous line - "I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti", which he follows with that vampire-like hiss?

Read more on BBC

"All of Gaza's population has been not eating any sort of protein, outside canned fava beans, for three months now," she says.

Read more on BBC

Another great salad is strawberries mixed with fava beans, radishes, greens and a garlic vinaigrette or shallot vinaigrette.

Read more on Salon

If I had to power rank spring’s most quintessential legumes, I’d place fava beans at the very top.

Read more on Salon