To save this word, you'll need to log in.
Definition of butterfly pea
: any of several large-flowered wild peas of the closely related genera Clitoria and Centrosema: such as
a : a common twining vine (Clitoria mariana) of the southeastern and central U.S. with pale blue 2-inch flowers having very large standards
b : a weakly twining to prostrate vine (Centrosema virginianum) occurring from New Jersey to tropical eastern North America and sometimes cultivated for its purple and white flowers
Comments on butterfly pea
What made you want to look up butterfly pea? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
A More Exception(al) Quiz
- Which of the following words is not a synonym for ‘a young person’?
Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Share butterfly pea