pea

[pee]

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.

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

pea

[pee]

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

Related Words for pea

olive, blue-green, stone, pellet, dot, frock, raincoat, overcoat, cloak, jacket, suit, wrap, tuxedo, windbreaker, fir, sap, jade, sage, moss, pine

Examples from the Web for pea

Contemporary Examples of 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
“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
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
“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
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

Historical Examples of pea

The week passed by, and the old people saw that the pea had begun to sprout.
Russian Fairy Tales
W. R. S. Ralston
They watered it regularly, and the pea set to work and grew higher than the izba.
Russian Fairy Tales
W. R. S. Ralston
The grandfather sowed a bean under the table, and the grandmother a pea.
Russian Fairy Tales
W. R. S. Ralston
Suppose you had a pea on your head, it wouldn't be heavy to carry, would it?
The Boy with the U. S. Weather Men
Francis William Rolt-Wheeler
However, no wonder, as you had never heard of the thimble and pea game, but I will tell you.
Lavengro
George Borrow

British Dictionary definitions for pea

pea

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

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.