pea

[ pee ]

/ pi /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR pea ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural peas, (Archaic or British Dialect) pease or peas·en [pee-zuh n] /ˈpi zən/.

the round, edible seed of a widely cultivated plant, Pisum sativum, of the legume family.

the plant itself.

the green, somewhat inflated pod of this plant.

any of various related or similar plants or their seed, as the chickpea.

something resembling a pea, especially in being small and round.

adjective

pertaining to, growing, containing, or cooked with peas: We cultivated some tomato vines and a pea patch.

small or small and round (usually used in combination).

pea coal.

Nearby words

pdsa, pdt, pe, pe-tsai, pe-tsai cabbage, pea, pea aphid, pea bean, pea coal, pea coat, pea crab

Origin of pea

1275–1325; Middle English; back formation from pease, taken as plural

Also called English pea, garden pea, green pea (for defs 1, 2).

Related formspea·like, adjective

Definition for pea (2 of 2)

pea

[ pee ]

/ pi /

noun Nautical.

bill³(def 4).

Origin of pea

First recorded in 1825–35; perhaps short for peak¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for pea

“This poor guy has a pea coat on,” he says, pointing to a well-dressed youngster in the front row.
Dan Malloy Is Progressives’ Dream Governor. So Why Isn’t He Winning?|David Freedlander|October 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Pea Tear Griffon” is singing what goes up must come down while reading Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Most Creative ‘Net Neutrality’ Comments on the FCC Website|Abby Haglage|June 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Extra protein, like pea protein for instance, or all organic and non-genetically modified ingredients are an added bonus.
How to Buy Gluten-Free Without Getting Duped|DailyBurn|April 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Protein enhancers such as whey, whole soybeans and pea protein are good, too,” Begun says.
How to Buy Gluten-Free Without Getting Duped|DailyBurn|April 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Surely this baby will eat the same fresh chicken and pea mush as his father, complete with a diamond-encrusted spoon.
How Different Is Raising the Royal Baby From a Typical American Child?|Kevin Fallon, Lizzie Crocker|July 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Mamma is like the princess who felt the pea through all the dozens of mattresses, isnt she?
The Dull Miss Archinard|Anne Douglas Sedgwick
He went on his way and threw out a pea every morning for weeks and weeks.
The Women of the Arabs|Henry Harris Jessup
Fruit in size from pea to peach, a rounded drupe with one stony-coated seed.
Trees of the Northern United States|Austin C. Apgar
They were not very large—each bead perhaps about the size of a pea—of a large pea, that is to say.
Rosy|Mrs. Molesworth
If your friends want some pea shooters, I have connections now for any quantity and at the right price.
Secret Armies|John L. Spivak

British Dictionary definitions for pea

pea

/ (piː) /

noun

an annual climbing leguminous plant, Pisum sativum, with small white flowers and long green pods containing edible green seeds: cultivated in temperate regions

the seed of this plant, eaten as a vegetable
(as modifier)pea soup

any of several other leguminous plants, such as the sweet pea, chickpea, and cowpea

Derived Formspealike, adjective

Word Origin for pea

C17: from pease (incorrectly assumed to be a plural)

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

Word Origin and History for pea

pea

early or mid-17c., false singular from Middle English pease (plural pesen), which was both single and collective (e.g. wheat, corn) but the "s" sound was mistaken for the plural inflection. From Old English pise (West Saxon), piose (Mercian) "pea," from Late Latin pisa, variant of Latin pisum "pea," from Greek pison "the pea," perhaps of Thracian or Phrygian origin [Klein].

In Southern U.S. and the Caribbean, used of other legumes as well. Pea soup is first recorded 1711 (pease-soup); applied to London fogs since at least 1849. Pea-shooter attested from 1803.

Idioms and Phrases with pea

pea

see like as two peas in a pod.

pea

noun, plural peas, (Archaic or British Dialect) pease or peas·en [pee-zuh n] /ˈpi zən/.

adjective

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Nearby words

Origin of pea

Definition for pea (2 of 2)

pea

noun Nautical.

Origin of pea

Examples from the Web for pea

British Dictionary definitions for pea

pea

noun

Word Origin for pea

Word Origin and History for pea

pea

Idioms and Phrases with pea

pea