sainfoin

American  

[seyn-foin] / ˈseɪn fɔɪn /

noun

1. a Eurasian plant, Onobrychis viciifolia, of the legume family, having pinnate leaves and clusters of pink flowers, used for forage.

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sainfoin British  

/ ˈsænfɔɪn /

noun

1. a Eurasian perennial leguminous plant, Onobrychis viciifolia, widely grown as a forage crop, having pale pink flowers and curved pods

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Etymology

Origin of sainfoin

1620–30; < French, equivalent to Middle French sain (< Latin sānus healthy) + foin (< Latin fēnum, faenum hay)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sainfoin

Fiver and Acorn followed him out and fell to nibbling at a patch of sainfoin.

From "Watership Down: A Novel" by Richard Adams

The natural pastures are supplemented chiefly by crops of sainfoin and clover; horses, cattle, sheep and swine are reared in considerable numbers; turkeys, geese and other poultry are abundant.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 11, Slice 8 "Germany" to "Gibson, William" by Various

It feeds on the wild heartsease, also on sainfoin and borage.

From British Butterfiles Figures and Descriptions of Every Native Species by Coleman, W. S. (William Stephen)

The methods for making alfalfa hay will apply also to sainfoin.

From Clovers and How to Grow Them by Shaw, Thomas

Meanwhile they prospered on the luxuriant pasturage of the prairie, with its abundance of sainfoin and edible roots, of which the porcine representatives showed genuine appreciation.

From Godfrey Morgan A Californian Mystery by Verne, Jules