Sweetvetch

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A climbing or trailing plant of the pea family bearing clusters of small fragrant flowers in shades of purple, pink, or white
2. A tender annual or perennial vine in the legume family known for its sweetly scented flower clusters and delicate leaflets
3. A twining plant with compound leaves and fragrant pea-like flowers, commonly grown as an ornamental in gardens

Etymology: Sweetvetch is a plant of the pea family, and its name is a plain compound of two English words: "sweet" and "vetch." Vetch is the older half, a term for the wild legumes that climb and sprawl through grasslands, and sweet is added to pick out this particular member of that group. The name describes the plant the way many common names do, by pairing a general category with a distinguishing quality. The "sweet" in the name points to the flowers, which are often fragrant, and the plant's pea-family relatives are readily recognised by their pea-like blossoms. Because the word is built directly from familiar parts, its meaning can be read straight from its spelling without any special knowledge of the plant.

Synonyms: vetchling