fava bean

noun

fa·va bean | \ ˈfä-və-

How to pronounce fava bean (audio)

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Definition of fava bean

: 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

There are artichokes, asparagus, leeks, green garlic, fresh peas, fava beans, sugar snaps and lettuces and herbs in a dizzying variety. — Evan Kleiman, latimes.com, "Cucina Italiana: Garmugia, an easy vegetable dish that translates spring to your bowl," 4 Apr. 2018 Top with groupings of artichokes, fava beans, potatoes, eggs, salami, and olives. — Sunset, "Composed Mediterranean Salad," 22 Jan. 2018 Similar to fava beans and English peas, fresh chickpeas grow on vines and generally contain one to two beans per pod. — Noelle Carter, latimes.com, "Culinary SOS: Make the fresh chickpea hummus from Rooftop by JG in Beverly Hills," 18 Apr. 2018 His falafels, for example, are made with fava beans instead of chickpeas and also include sesame seeds. — Todd A. Price, NOLA.com, "At new St. Roch Market stall, Cairo native serves up Egyptian culture," 6 Apr. 2018 Among the five main courses is an exceptional vegetarian option: farro verde ($26) with asparagus, olives, fava beans and green garlic vinaigrette. — Michael Bauer, SFChronicle.com, "Sorrel off to a stellar start in Pacific Heights," 6 July 2018 The drinks are simple (get a straight shot) and there's no food save for toasted peanuts and fava beans sold from a roving snack vendor. — Scarlett Lindeman, Condé Nast Traveler, "20 Best Bars in Mexico City," 27 Feb. 2018 The fava beans are another story of modest grandeur. — Gabrielle Hamilton, House Beautiful, "Gabrielle Hamilton's Rack of Pork with Baked Fava Beans," 11 Oct. 2012 Fava Beans As a legume, fava beans fix nitrogen in the soil. — Sunset, "Top 10 Cover Crops for Your Fall Garden," 22 Jan. 2018

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

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The first known use of fava bean was in 1893

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More Definitions for fava bean

fava bean

noun

English Language Learners Definition of fava bean

chiefly US : a large, flat, pale green seed that is eaten as a vegetable

See the full definition for fava bean in the English Language Learners Dictionary

fava bean

noun

fa·va bean | \ ˈfäv-ə-

\

Medical Definition of fava bean

: broad bean

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