Cowpeas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of legume known for its edible seeds and foliage, often cultivated for food or livestock feed
2. A plant belonging to the genus Vigna, valued for its nutritious pods and ability to improve soil health
3. An annual herbaceous plant commonly grown in tropical and subtropical regions for its protein-rich seeds and as a cover crop

Etymology: Cowpeas are a plural form, so the story belongs to the singular "cowpea," which is simply a compound of "cow" and "pea." The name tells you what the plant was valued for: in the southern United States, where it was widely grown, the plants were mainly fed to livestock, and the peas were a cheap, hardy crop for animals and people alike. The "cow" element is the ordinary English word for the animal, so the name reads plainly as "pea fed to cattle." The word also shows how a common name can hide a wider family of plants. Cowpeas are not true peas at all but belong to the legume family, which is where the "pea" part of the name comes from. Its seeds and pods are close relatives of beans, and the name follows the older habit of calling many pod-bearing legumes "peas."