pea

 
Pronunciation: /piː/

noun

  • 1a spherical green seed which is eaten as a vegetable: [as modifier]: pea soup
  • West Indian any legume, including peas, beans, or lentils, eaten as a vegetable.
  • 2the hardy Eurasian climbing plant which yields pods containing peas.
    • Pisum sativum, family Leguminosae (or Fabaceae; the pea family). The members of this family (known as legumes) are sometimes divided among three smaller families: Papilionaceae (peas, beans, clovers, vetches, brooms, laburnums, etc.), Mimosaceae (mimosas, acacias), and Caesalpiniaceae (cassia, carob, and many tropical timber trees)
  • 3 [with modifier] used in names of plants or seeds that are similar or related to the pea, e.g. chickpea, sweet pea.

Phrases

like peas (or two peas) in a pod

so similar as to be indistinguishable or nearly so: they were like two peas in a pod, both with the same high cheekbones and hairline

Derivatives

pea-like

adjective

Origin:

mid 17th century: back-formation from pease (interpreted as plural)