cowpea

noun cow·pea \ ˈkau̇-ˌpē \

|Updated on: 19 May 2018

Definition of cowpea

: a sprawling herb (Vigna unguiculata synonym V. sinensis) of the legume family related to the bean and widely cultivated in the southern U.S. for forage, green manure, and edible seeds; also : its edible seed — called also black-eyed pea, field pea

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Recent Examples of cowpea from the Web

Field peas or cowpeas—which include black-eyed peas, crowder peas, and cream peas—are, botanically, beans.

— the editors of organic life, Good Housekeeping, "Growing Peas Has Never Been Easier Than This," 31 Mar. 2017
Others never caught on, like the Ron bean from the Yucatán, with its thick ochre skin and bland flesh, or the Veronico, from the town of Tecozautla, which looked like a pine nut but tasted like a cowpea.

— junot díaz, The New Yorker, "The Hunt for Mexico’s Heirloom Beans," 17 Apr. 2018
Asia was home to adzuki, soybeans, winged beans, mung and urad dal, and Africa produced cowpeas, yard-long beans, pigeon peas, Dolichos lablab beans and black-eyed peas.

— margaret lauterbach, idahostatesman, "Like beans? Here’s a rundown on how to grow them | Idaho Statesman," 14 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cowpea.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.