Library / English Dictionary

INDIAN BEAN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Perennial twining vine of Old World tropics having trifoliate leaves and racemes of fragrant purple pea-like flowers followed by maroon pods of edible seeds; grown as an ornamental and as a vegetable on the Indian subcontinent; sometimes placed in genus Dolichos

Synonyms:

bonavist; Dolichos lablab; Egyptian bean; hyacinth bean; Indian bean; Lablab purpureus

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Hypernyms ("Indian bean" is a kind of...):

vine (a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface)

Holonyms ("Indian bean" is a member of...):

genus Lablab; Lablab (one species: hyacinth bean)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Tree of the genus Catalpa with large leaves and white flowers followed by long slender pods

Synonyms:

catalpa; Indian bean

Classified under:

Nouns denoting plants

Hypernyms ("Indian bean" is a kind of...):

bean tree (any of several trees having seedpods as fruits)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "Indian bean"):

Catalpa bignioides (catalpa tree of southern United States)

Catalpa speciosa (catalpa tree of central United States)

Holonyms ("Indian bean" is a member of...):

genus Catalpa (a dicotyledonous genus of plants belonging to the family Bignoniaceae; has large flowers (white or mottled) and long terete pods)

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