chick-pea

CIDE DICTIONARY

chick-pea, n. [See Chich.].

•  A Small leguminous plant (Cicer arietinum) of Asia, Africa, and the south of Europe; the chich; the dwarf pea; the gram.  [1913 Webster]
•  Its nutritious seed, used in cookery, and especially, when roasted (parched pulse), as food for travelers in the Eastern deserts.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

chick-pea, n.
1 a leguminous plant, Cicer arietinum, with short swollen pods containing yellow beaked seeds.
2 this seed used as a vegetable.

Etymology

orig. ciche pease f. L cicer: see PEASE