cowpea

[ kou-pee ]

noun

1. a plant, Vigna unguiculata, extensively cultivated in the southern U.S. for forage, soil improvement, etc.
2. the seed of this plant, used for food.

cowpea

/ ˈkaʊˌpiː /

noun

1. a leguminous tropical climbing plant, Vigna sinensis, producing long pods containing edible pealike seeds: grown for animal fodder and sometimes as human food
2. Also calledblack-eyed pea the seed of this plant

Word History and Origins

Origin of cowpea¹

An Americanism dating back to 1810–20; cow ¹ + pea ¹

Example Sentences

Steinmetz and colleagues have been using cowpea mosaic virus nanoparticles to trigger the immune system to fight cancer and prevent it from spreading and recurring.

From Science Daily

Cultures throughout human history have had their own favored intercropping systems with similar synergies, such as tumeric and mango or millet, cowpea and ziziphus, commonly known as red date.

From Salon

Anna Koltunow of the University of Queensland is developing apomictic varieties of sorghum and cowpea, important crops for farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.

From Science Magazine

The slave trade introduced the cowpea to the Americas, but rice-and-bean dishes already were being made and eaten in areas where rice grew wild.

From Washington Post

His class uses cowpeas to test immune responses.

From Seattle Times