Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

vetch

noun
\ ˈvech \

Definition of vetch

: any of a genus (Vicia) of herbaceous twining leguminous plants including some grown for fodder and green manure — compare crown vetch, hairy vetch, milk vetch

Illustration of vetch

Illustration of vetch

Examples of vetch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 By the time spring unfolds, the later-blooming types are covered in vetch. — Neil Sperry, San Antonio Express-News, "Best way to prevent weeds? Keep your grass healthy," 20 Apr. 2018 For the typical home vegetable gardener, the best cover crops are often legumes such as winter peas, fava beans, clovers or vetches. — Ciscoe Morris, The Seattle Times, "A bountiful spring vegetable harvest starts this fall," 30 Aug. 2017 Honeybees work the long tassels of vetch flowers readily. — Alaska Dispatch News, "Readers write: Letters to the editor, August 14, 2017," 14 Aug. 2017 Common choices include grasses and legumes such as hairy vetch and clover. — Irene Wanner, The Seattle Times, "UW professor digs in to our problem of soil degradation in ‘Growing a Revolution’," 5 May 2017

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

See More

First Known Use of vetch

14th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for vetch

Middle English fecche, veche, from Middle French dialect (Norman & Picard) veche, from Latin vicia; perhaps akin to Latin vincire to bind

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about vetch

Dictionary Entries near vetch

Vesuvius

veszelyite

vet

vetch

vetch bruchid

vetchling

vetchworm

Statistics for vetch

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for vetch

The first known use of vetch was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for vetch

vetch

noun

English Language Learners Definition of vetch

: a plant that has small flowers and is used to feed farm animals

See the full definition for vetch in the English Language Learners Dictionary

More from Merriam-Webster on vetch

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with vetch

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about vetch

Comments on vetch

What made you want to look up vetch? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

cumulate

to gather or build up little by little

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Test Your Vocabulary

Homophone Quiz

  • three-bears-two-of-them-look-like-theyre-whispering-to-a-third-bear-who-looks-chuffed-to-be-the-center-of-attention
  • In order to judge how people felt, the senator's office hired a firm to take a ______.
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Word Winder's CrossWinder

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games