Category:Pea

Pea, n. Etym: [of. peis. See poise.]

Defn: the sliding weight on a steelyard. [written also pee.]

Pea Pea, n. (naut.)

Defn: see peak, n., 3.

Pea Pea, n.; pl. Peas or pease. Etym: [oe. pese, fr. As. pisa, or of. Peis, f. pois; both fr. L. pisum; cf. Gr. s was misunderstood in English as a plural ending. Cf. Pease.]

1. (bot.)

Defn: a plant, and its fruit, of the genus pisum, of many varieties, Much cultivated for food. It has a papilionaceous flower, and the Pericarp is a legume, popularly called a pod.

Note: when a definite number, more than one, is spoken of, the plural Form peas is used; as, the pod contained nine peas; but, in a Collective sense, the form pease is preferred; as, a bushel of pease; They had pease at dinner. This distinction is not always preserved, The form peas being used in both senses.

2. A name given, especially in the southern states, to the seed of Several leguminous plants (species of dolichos, cicer, abrus, etc.) Esp. those having a scar (hilum) of a different color from the rest Of the seed.

Note: the name pea is given to many leguminous plants more or less Closely related to the common pea. See the phrases, below. Beach pea (bot.), a seashore plant, lathyrus maritimus. -- black-eyed pea, a west indian name for dolichos sphærospermus and Its seed. -- butterfly pea, the american plant clitoria mariana, having showy Blossoms. -- chick pea. See chick-pea. -- egyptian pea. Same as chick-pea. -- everlasting pea. See under everlasting. -- glory pea. See under glory, n. -- hoary pea, any plant of the genus tephrosia; goat's rue. -- issue pea, orris pea. (med.) See under issue, and orris. -- milk pea. (bot.) See under milk. -- pea berry, a kind of a coffee bean or grain which grows single, And is round or pea-shaped; often used adjectively; as, pea-berry Coffee. -- pea bug. (zoöl.) Same as pea weevil. -- pea coal, a size of coal smaller than nut coal. -- pea crab (zoöl.), any small crab of the genus pinnotheres, living As a commensal in bivalves; esp., the european species (p. pisum) Which lives in the common mussel and the cockle. -- pea dove (zoöl.), the american ground dove. -- pea-flower tribe (bot.), a suborder (papilionaceæ) of leguminous Plants having blossoms essentially like that of the pea. G. Bentham. -- pea maggot (zoöl.), the larva of a european moth (tortrix pisi), Which is very destructive to peas. -- pea ore (min.), argillaceous oxide of iron, occurring in round Grains of a size of a pea; pisolitic ore. -- pea starch, the starch or flour of the common pea, which is Sometimes used in adulterating wheat flour, pepper, etc. -- pea tree (bot.), the name of several leguminous shrubs of the Genus caragana, natives of siberia and china. -- pea vine. (bot.) (a) any plant which bears peas. (b) a kind of Vetch or tare, common in the united states (lathyrus americana, and Other similar species). -- pea weevil (zoöl.), a small weevil (bruchus pisi) which destroys Peas by eating out the interior. -- pigeon pea. (bot.) See pigeon pea. -- sweet pea (bot.), the annual plant lathyrus odoratus; also, its Many-colored, sweet-scented blossoms.