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vetch
[ vech ]
/ vɛtʃ /
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noun
any of several mostly climbing plants belonging to the genus Vicia, of the legume family, having pinnate leaves ending in tendrils and bearing pealike flowers, especially V. sativa(spring vetch ), cultivated for forage and soil improvement.
any of various allied plants, as Lathyrus sativus, of Europe, cultivated for their edible seeds and for forage.
the beanlike seed or fruit of any such plant.
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Origin of vetch
1325–75; Middle English ve(c)che<Anglo-French; Old French vecce (French vesce) <Latin vicia
OTHER WORDS FROM vetch
vetchlike, adjectiveWords nearby vetch
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use vetch in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for vetch
vetch
/ (vɛtʃ) /
noun
any of various climbing leguminous plants of the temperate genus Vicia, esp V. sativa, having pinnate leaves, typically blue or purple flowers, and tendrils on the stems
any of various similar and related plants, such as Lathyrus sativus, cultivated in parts of Europe, and the kidney vetch
the beanlike fruit of any of these plants
Word Origin for vetch
C14: fecche, from Old French veche, from Latin vicia
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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