pea

¹ American  

[pee] / pi /

noun

plural

peas,

plural

pease, peasen

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

2. the plant itself.

3. the green, somewhat inflated pod of this plant.

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

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

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adjective

1. pertaining to, growing, containing, or cooked with peas.

   We cultivated some tomato vines and a pea patch.

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

3. pea coal.

pea ² American  

[pee] / pi /

noun

Nautical.

1. bill.

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pea British  

/ piː /

noun

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

2. 1. the seed of this plant, eaten as a vegetable

   2. ( as modifier )

      pea soup

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

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pea Idioms  

1. see like as two peas in a pod.

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Other Word Forms

• pealike adjective

Etymology

Origin of pea¹

First recorded in 1660–70; back formation from pease, taken as plural

Origin of pea²

First recorded in 1825–35; perhaps short for peak ¹

Example Sentences

The humble bag with peas, carrots, corn, and those tiny, anonymous green bean chunks.

From Salon

Then Nim picked up a tomato and an avocado that had fallen off in the wind and weeded quickly around the peas.

From Literature

She perhaps represents a refreshing antidote to the kind of cooks whose recipes involve complicated ingredients you have to hunt for in a deli - instead, expect to find Marmite, fish fingers or frozen peas.

From BBC

Gardens full of buckwheat, sage, vegetables, roses and treasured sweet peas surround her Ventura home.

From Los Angeles Times

A pea might be hearty or soft, depending on how you use it, and that’s part of the pleasure.

From Salon

Related Words

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