marrowfat pea

7.2

A large ripe pea often canned or used to make mushy peas

noun

: guisante marrowfat

In the UK, marrowfat peas are often used to make mushy peas served with fish and chips.

Examples

Canned marrowfat peas are a popular ingredient in many traditional British recipes.
Because they are matured longer on the plant, marrowfat peas have a firmer texture than garden peas.
I love eating marrowfat peas with my fish and chips.
The chef prepared a delightful dish with marrowfat peas.
Canned marrowfat peas are a popular ingredient in many traditional British recipes.
In the UK, marrowfat peas are often used to make mushy peas served with fish and chips.
Because they are matured longer on the plant, marrowfat peas have a firmer texture than garden peas.

Surface Forms

marrowfat pea singular

marrowfat peas plural

Morphology

marrowfat + pea

The noun 'pea' is transparent, but 'marrowfat' is a rare lexicalized label; while its parts ('marrow' + 'fat') can evoke a plump/rich quality so a learner might infer 'a large, fat pea', the precise sense of a specific matured/canning variety and its culinary use is lexicalized and not fully predictable. Because there is a partial, interpretable link to the constituents but the full, conventional meaning requires prior exposure, this is best classified as semi-transparent.

Etymology

Marrowfat pea probably comes from the idea of peas left to ripen until they were very large and rich; the words marrow and fat give the picture of something soft and full inside. So, the name stuck for the big, mature peas people use for canning and for making 'mushy peas'.