Search Dictionary
Definition of pea
pea
/piː/
pea
Plural:peas
pea Lexical Profile
CEFR
A1
Grade
1
Tier
1
Usage
Top 5k
pea Game Scores & Validity
Scrabble US
Scrabble UK
WWF
Wordle Guess
• noun
1
The small, spherical, edible green seed of the climbing leguminous plant Pisum sativum, widely grown and consumed as a vegetable.
Example
"She added a handful of fresh sweet peas to the boiling soup."
2
The climbing herbaceous vine (Pisum sativum) itself, characterized by climbing tendrils, white or purplish flowers, and green pods containing seeds.
Example
"The gardener set up a trellis along the fence to support the growing peas."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for pea• Rhymes for pea
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
A 17th-century back-formation from the Middle English 'pease', which was historically a singular noun. Because 'pease' ended in an 's' sound, English speakers mistakenly treated it as plural, thus creating the new singular form 'pea'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Pea. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/pea