legume

noun

plural legumes
1
a
: the dry fruit of plants of the legume family (such as peas or beans) that develops from a single carpel of a flower and usually splits into two halves with seeds attached to the seam of one half : pod entry 1 sense 1
b
: the fruit or seeds of a legume plant (such as the peanut or tamarind) used for food
2
: any of a large family (Leguminosae synonym Fabaceae, the legume family) of dicotyledonous plants that have fruits that are legumes and roots with nodules containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria and that includes important food and forage plants (such as peas, beans, or clovers)

Examples of legume in a Sentence

recipes that include legumes like lentils and chickpeas
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.
Magnesium Magnesium is a dietary mineral found in foods like leafy greens, nuts and seeds, whole grains, and beans and legumes. Heather Jones, Verywell Health, 10 Oct. 2025 Mikuna’s plant protein comes from chocho, an Andean legume with more fiber than your average shake. Olivia Tarantino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Oct. 2025 Adair suggests focusing bigtime on legumes—like beans, peas, lentils, edamame, and peanuts. Erica Sloan, SELF, 8 Oct. 2025 Unfortunately, the sulfur compounds in garlic may interfere with nitrogen fixation in legumes and cause these plants to grow more slowly and become stunted. Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for legume

Word History

Etymology

French légume, from Latin legumin-, legumen leguminous plant, from legere to gather — more at legend

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of legume was in 1597

Cite this Entry

“Legume.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legume. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

legume

noun
leg·​ume
ˈleg-ˌyüm,
li-ˈgyüm
1
a
: any of a large family of herbs, shrubs, and trees that have fruits which are dry single-celled pods that split into two pieces when ripe, that bear nodules on the roots that contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and that include important food plants (as peas, beans, or clovers)
b
: the part (as seeds or pods) of a legume used as food
2
: the pod of a legume

Medical Definition

legume

noun
1
: the fruit or seed of leguminous plants (as peas or beans) used for food
2
: any plant of the family Leguminosae

More from Merriam-Webster on legume

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