alfalfa

[ al-fal-fuh ]

noun

1. a plant, Medicago sativa, of the legume family, usually having bluish-purple flowers, originating in western Asia and widely cultivated as a forage crop.

alfalfa

/ ælˈfælfə /

noun

1. a leguminous plant, Medicago sativa, of Europe and Asia, having compound leaves with three leaflets and clusters of small purplish flowers. It is widely cultivated for forage and as a nitrogen fixer and used as a commercial source of chlorophyll Also calledlucerne

Word History and Origins

Origin of alfalfa¹

First recorded in 1835–45; from Spanish, variant of alfalfez, from Spanish Arabic al “the” + faṣfaṣah from Persian ispist “lucerne”

Word History and Origins

Origin of alfalfa¹

C19: from Spanish, from Arabic al-fasfasah, from al the + fasfasah the best sort of fodder

Example Sentences

When he brings his cattle to eat the alfalfa, they will spread their waste across the fields and trammel old vegetation into the earth.

From Washington Post

A majority of the water used by farms — and thus much of the river — goes to growing nonessential crops like alfalfa and other grasses that feed cattle for meat production.

From ProPublica

In his younger days, Ed cut alfalfa with a team of horses, and lived the progression from horse to tractor.

From Vox

The 475-square-foot shop is extending its hours for summer, and debuting new picnic-ready sandwiches such as the Top Knot, a sub topped with turkey, cheddar, green apple slices, alfalfa sprouts and a slather of rosé-infused mayo.

From Washington Post

As it’s there, microbes are breaking down the body and breaking down the wood chips, alfalfa, and straw to create this beautiful soil.

From MIT Technology Review

The Alfalfa Club dinner crowd in tiaras was the order of the night.

From The Daily Beast

A small flowering plant in the pea family, Fabaceae, known as alfalfa.

From The Daily Beast

They will concentrate instead on farming their 1,900 acres of alfalfa, 1,600 acres of corn, and 1,400 acres of soybeans.

From The Daily Beast

He was presented with a special Alfalfa medallion for a lifetime of civility, good cheer, and good fellowship.

From The Daily Beast

They grew up as crop and dairy farmers in Iowa, tending corn, soy, alfalfa, hay, oats and clover.

From The Daily Beast

I'll try alfalfa in that field next and then I'll rub Aladdin's lamp.

From Project Gutenberg

Alfalfa, al-fal′fa, n. a Spanish name for a variety of lucerne—used also in some parts of the United States.

From Project Gutenberg

After three o'clock I sat here in a cool room by an open window watching Papa mow alfalfa and the men stack grain.

From Project Gutenberg

Here he owns two hundred acres of alfalfa land and he is also engaged quite extensively in dairying and in fruit raising.

From Project Gutenberg

Four ploughs were kept steadily at work, and the ground was sown with alfalfa or lucern, as fast as it was got into condition.

From Project Gutenberg