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Definition of broad bean
broad bean
Plural:broad beans
• noun
1
A large, flat, edible green bean eaten as a vegetable, removed from the thick pods of the Vicia faba plant before cooking.
Example
"She prepared a fresh spring salad tossed with mint, peas, and blanched broad beans."
2
The upright, bushy leguminous plant (Vicia faba) native to North Africa and southwest Asia, cultivated globally for its edible seeds, pods, and as a forage crop.
Example
"The farmer planted broad beans as a cover crop to naturally fix nitrogen in the soil before the next harvest."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for broad beanWord Nuance & Usage
In North American English, this vegetable is more frequently referred to as a 'fava bean', whereas 'broad bean' is the standard everyday term in British, Australian, and New Zealand English.
• Nearby Words
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Broad bean. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 17, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/broad%20bean