fava bean

noun

fa·​va bean ˈfä-və- How to pronounce fava bean (audio)
: the large, flat, edible, starchy seed of an Old World upright vetch (Vicia faba) that is typically pale green to whitish in color and is eaten raw, blanched, or cooked
also : this plant widely grown for its seeds and as fodder

called also broad bean, horse bean

see favism

Examples of fava bean in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Important note: Some individuals have an allergic reaction to fava beans, so be aware before eating or offering to guests. Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 14 Nov. 2024 Plant the following vegetables from seed: bulb onions, shallots, leeks, chives, garlic, peas, radishes, beets, spinach, lettuce, chard, fava beans, celery, cabbage, kohlrabi and kale. Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 10 Oct. 2024 Bean Pasta Black beans, lupin beans, and fava beans have all been used to make types of high-protein pasta. Johna Burdeos, Health, 4 Sep. 2024 For instance, there’s a new Insalata Primavera with baby carrots, English peas, fava beans, radish, fennel, cucumber, heirloom cherry tomatoes and parsley lemon vinaigrette. Lily O'Neill, The Denver Post, 14 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for fava bean 

Word History

Etymology

Italian fava "fava bean," going back to Latin faba, going back to dialectal Indo-European *bhab(h)- (whence also Serbian & Croatian bȍb, bòba "bean," Polish bób, Russian bob all going back to Slavic *bobŭ), probably borrowed from a European substratal language

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of fava bean was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near fava bean

Cite this Entry

“Fava bean.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fava%20bean. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

fava bean

noun
fa·​va bean ˈfä-və- How to pronounce fava bean (audio)

Medical Definition

fava bean

noun
fa·​va bean ˈfäv-ə- How to pronounce fava bean (audio)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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