fava bean

noun

fa·​va bean ˈfä-və- 

: 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

In Sardinia, that means garbanzo and fava beans, often folded into a minestrone eaten more than once a day. — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026

The present clings to the past, like fava bean pesto should adhere to al dente paccheri. — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 9 July 2026

Salmon with ponzu sauce, mango, fava beans, avocado, sesame seeds, chilli mayo, spring onion and white rice is the fuel for the afternoon. — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 29 June 2026

In the produce section, large bins held tomatillos, poblano peppers, Indian eggplants, dragon fruit, kumquats, coconuts, fava beans and giant king oyster mushrooms. — Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 27 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Italian fava "fava bean," going back to Latin faba, going back to dialectal Indo-European *b^hab^(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

Rhymes for fava bean

• acridine
• acrolein
• adenine
• alkylene
• aniline
• anthracene
• aquiline
• asphaltene
• atlantean
• atrazine
• butadiene
• butylene

Kids Definition

fava bean

noun

fa·​va bean ˈfä-və- 

: broad bean

Medical Definition

fava bean

noun

fa·​va bean ˈfäv-ə- 

: broad bean