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Definition of velvet bean
velvet bean
Plural:velvet beans
velvet bean Lexical Profile
CEFR
C2
Grade
11
Tier
3
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A vigorous tropical and subtropical climbing legume (Mucuna pruriens) native to Africa and tropical Asia, widely cultivated for forage, soil improvement, and medicinal purposes.
Example
"Farmers often plant the velvet bean as a cover crop to fix nitrogen in the soil and suppress invasive weeds."
2
The edible seed or pod of the velvet bean plant, historically used as a coffee substitute and known in medicine for containing high levels of L-DOPA.
Example
"Extracts from the velvet bean are sometimes utilized in dietary supplements aimed at supporting neurological health."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for velvet bean• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Named for the dense, velvety hairs that cover the seed pods of the plant.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Velvet bean. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 14, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/velvet bean