plural legumes
1
a
: the dry fruit of plants of the legume family (such as peas or beans) that develops from a single carpel of a flower and usually splits into two halves with seeds attached to the seam of one half : pod entry 1 sense 1
b
: the fruit or seeds of a legume plant (such as the peanut or tamarind) used for food
2
: any of a large family (Leguminosae synonym Fabaceae, the legume family) of dicotyledonous plants that have fruits that are legumes and roots with nodules containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria and that includes important food and forage plants (such as peas, beans, or clovers)
Examples of legume in a Sentence
recipes that include legumes like lentils and chickpeas
Recent Examples on the Web
This slowly digesting form of starch, found in legumes, passes to the colon mostly undigested, where it's fermented into short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs).
—
Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 3 Apr. 2026
Dinner often includes dahl − an Indian dish made from lentils or other legume − and roti, a type of flatbread and sometimes rice.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Then, interest in legumes exploded with everyone stuck cooking at home, leading to the creation of several new specialty bean companies, many of which explored subscription models.
—Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Apr. 2026
Coming in at about 25 grams per 100 grams, the humble legume is actually more protein-dense than a steak.
—Philipp Wehsack, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legume
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Lauren Panoff, Verywell Health, 3 Apr. 2026
Dinner often includes dahl − an Indian dish made from lentils or other legume − and roti, a type of flatbread and sometimes rice.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2026
Then, interest in legumes exploded with everyone stuck cooking at home, leading to the creation of several new specialty bean companies, many of which explored subscription models.
—Tara Duggan, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Apr. 2026
Coming in at about 25 grams per 100 grams, the humble legume is actually more protein-dense than a steak.
—Philipp Wehsack, Vogue, 28 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for legume
Cite this Entry
“Legume.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/legume. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
1
: the fruit or seed of leguminous plants (as peas or beans) used for food
2
: any plant of the family Fabaceae (synonym Leguminosae)
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