pea

Etymology 1

Back-formation from pease, an original singular reinterpreted as a plural. Further from Middle English pese (“a pea”), from Old English pisa, from Latin pisa, pisum, from Ancient Greek πίσον (píson).

noun

1. A plant, Pisum sativum, member of the legume (Fabaceae) family.
2. Any plant of the family Fabaceae.
3. (cooking) The edible seed of Pisum sativum; the green pea.
4. (cooking) The edible seed of various other pea plants.
5. (Jamaica) Any of several varieties of bean.
   peas and rice
6. (MLE, in the plural) Money.
   Man's making bare peas.
   Oh, come on. Help a brother out. People see you coppin', might inspire them. Look, I know you ain't payin' bills right now. Man must have bare peas saved up. 2023, Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia, directed by Raine Allen-Miller, Rye Lane, spoken by Nathan (Simon Manyonda)

Etymology 2

From having the appearance of a pea (see English etymology 1), the edible seed of Pisum sativum, the pea plant.

noun

1. (baseball) A ball travelling at high velocity.
2. (US, Indiana, gambling) Any of the small numbered balls used in a pea shake game.
3. (astronomy) Ellipsis of green pea galaxy.

Etymology 3

From Middle English pe, po, poue, pa, paue, from Old English pēa, pāwa (“peacock”) (compare Old English pāwe (“peahen”)) and Old Norse pái (“peacock”), both from Proto-Germanic *pāwô (“peacock”), from Latin pāvō (“peacock”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Pau, West Frisian pau, Dutch pauw, German Pfau. Doublet of Pavo.

noun

1. (rare, archaic) a peafowl

Etymology 4

noun

1. (nautical) Alternative form of peak