Relating to or denoting plants of the pea family (Leguminosae). These have seeds in pods, distinctive flowers, and typically root nodules containing symbiotic bacteria able to fix nitrogen.Compare with papilionaceous
- ‘Golden peanut oil is a by-product of the leguminous plant native to Mexico.’
- ‘Tomato has an advantage if planting follows leguminous crops like groundnuts and beans which put nitrogen back into the soil.’
- ‘Still, no one had figured out how leguminous plants assimilate nitrogen.’
- ‘This leguminous climbing plant is commonly called the velvet bean.’
- ‘The beans are the seeds of the leguminous soybean plant.’
Late Middle English (in the sense ‘relating to pulses’): from medieval Latin leguminosus, from legumen (see legume).
We take a look at several popular, though confusing, punctuation marks.