velvet bean

noun

1. a vine, Mucuna deeringiana, of the legume family, having long clusters of purplish flowers and densely hairy pods, grown in warm regions for forage or as an ornamental.

Word History and Origins

Origin of velvet bean¹

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900

Example Sentences

The importance of the velvet bean to the live stock industry now developing in the South can scarcely be over-estimated.

From Project Gutenberg

In some instances, on the roots of the velvet bean they grow in clusters as large as an ordinary potato.

From Project Gutenberg

The story of the velvet bean is really one of the romances of agriculture.

From Project Gutenberg