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Definition of garbanzo bean
garbanzo bean
Plural:garbanzo beans
• noun
1
North American The round, edible, pale yellow seed of a leguminous plant native to the Mediterranean and Middle East, widely used in dishes such as hummus, salads, and stews.
Example
"She added a can of rinsed garbanzo beans to the salad for an extra boost of protein."
2
North American The leguminous, bushy plant (Cicer arietinum) of the pea family that produces these edible seeds in small pods.
Example
"The farmer decided to rotate his crops by planting garbanzo beans to help naturally restore nitrogen to the soil."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for garbanzo beanWord Nuance & Usage
The term 'garbanzo bean' is predominantly used in American English, whereas 'chickpea' is the standard term in British, Australian, and global 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 Garbanzo bean. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/garbanzo%20bean