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cajan pea

cajan pea

9.2
A small nutritious seed from a tropical plant used for food
  • noun
  • Indian
translation icon : guisante de cajan
  • The stew was packed with vegetables and cajan peas for extra nutrition.

Examples

  • The cajan pea is rich in protein and fiber.

  • Many farmers grow cajan peas for their nutritional benefits.

  • Farmers in tropical regions grow cajan pea as an important source of protein.

  • Researchers are studying the drought resistance of the cajan pea plant.

  • Farmers in tropical regions grow cajan pea as an important source of protein.

  • The stew was packed with vegetables and cajan peas for extra nutrition.

  • The cajan pea is rich in protein and fiber.

Synonyms

dahl
vscajan pea
  • UK
1 8.2

Small nutritious seeds that come from a tropical pea plant and people use in many South Asian dishes

is the general crop term used across many regions
pigeon pea
vscajan pea
5.8

A small seed eaten as food in warm countries

is the scientific crop term rather than the everyday name
red gram
vscajan pea
  • Indian
8.4

A tropical plant grown for its small edible seeds used like peas

refers specifically to the edible seed as a food crop

Surface Forms

cajan pea singular
cajan peas plural

Morphology

cajan + pea

The first constituent 'cajan' is an uncommon botanical/genus term (not a transparent English word) so its contribution to meaning is not predictable; knowing only 'pea' (a small seed) does not allow a learner to infer the species-specific sense 'tropical woody plant with yellow flowers.' Because the compound is essentially a lexicalized scientific name/term rather than a compositional phrase, it would be opaque to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Cajan pea may come from the plant's local name cajan and the word pea. People in tropical places ate the plant's small, nutritious seeds, so the name came to mean the edible seed.