legume
/ˈleɡ.juːm/ IELTSAcademic
noun
A legume is a plant in the bean family, or its edible seed or pod. In everyday English, it often means beans, peas, lentils, or similar foods.
- Beans and lentils are common legumes.
- She added legumes to the soup.
- Soybeans are important legumes.
Adinary Nuance
A legume is the broad, technical word for plants in the bean family. It is wider than bean, pea, or lentil, which name specific kinds of legumes. In cooking or nutrition writing, legume sounds more formal and scientific than everyday bean.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- họ đậu
- Spanish
- legumbre
- Chinese
- 豆类
- Japanese
- 豆類
- Korean
- 콩류
Etymology
Legume comes from French légume, from Latin legumen, meaning a pulse or bean. The word has been used in English since the 16th century.
Common phrases
legume familydried legumeslegume croplegume seeds
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is legume the same as bean?
- Not exactly. Bean is a type of legume, but legume is the broader word.
- Is legume a formal word?
- Yes. It is more common in science, nutrition, and farming than in casual speech.
- Can I use legume for peas and lentils?
- Yes. Peas and lentils are legumes too.
- How do I use legume in a sentence?
- You can say, 'Lentils are healthy legumes.'