vetch

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

vetch, n. [Also fitch; OE. ficche, feche, for veche, OF. veche, vecce, vesche, vesce, F. vesce, fr. L. vicia.].

 Any leguminous plant of the genus Vicia, some species of which are valuable for fodder. The common species is Vicia sativa.  [1913 Webster]
" The name is also applied to many other leguminous plants of different genera; as the chichling vetch, of the genus Lathyrus; the horse vetch, of the genus Hippocrepis; the kidney vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria); the milk vetch, of the genus Astragalus; the licorice vetch, or wild licorice (Abrus precatorius)."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

vetch, n. any plant of the genus Vicia, esp. V. sativa, largely used for silage or fodder.

Derivative

vetchy adj.

Etymology

ME f. AF & ONF veche f. L vicia

THESAURUS

vetch

algae, autophyte, bean, bracken, brown algae, climber, conferva, confervoid, creeper, diatom, fern, fruits and vegetables, fucus, fungus, grapevine, green algae, gulfweed, herb, heterophyte, ivy, kelp, legume, lentil, liana, lichen, liverwort, mold, moss, mushroom, parasite, parasitic plant, pea, perthophyte, phytoplankton, planktonic algae, plant families, puffball, pulse, red algae, rockweed, rust, saprophyte, sargasso, sargassum, sea lentil, sea moss, sea wrack, seaweed, smut, succulent, toadstool, vine, wort, wrack