winged bean

American  

noun

1. a tropical Asian vine, Psophocarpus tetragonolobus, of the legume family, of which the pods, seeds, leaves, and flowers are edible and nutritious.

2. the pod of this plant, having four flangelike longitudinal extensions.

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Etymology

Origin of winged bean

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

"It's a veritable backyard supermarket," exults Vietmeyer, who has probably done as much as anyone to drum up the new enthusiasm for the winged bean.

From Time Magazine Archive

The winged bean does more than just fill stomachs.

From Time Magazine Archive

As a legume, the winged bean converts its own nitrogen from the atmosphere, thanks to a happy symbiosis with guest Rhizobium bacteria in the plant's potato-like tubers.

From Time Magazine Archive

If the winged bean is such a bountiful miracle, why was it so long neglected outside its native habitat?

From Time Magazine Archive

In certain parts of Asia, such as Burma, Sumatra and New Guinea, the winged bean is old potatoes.

From Time Magazine Archive