vetch: Meaning and Definition of

vetch

1. any of several mostly climbing plants belonging to the genus Vicia, of the legume family, having pinnate leaves ending in tendrils and bearing pealike flowers, esp. V. sativacultivated for forage and soil improvement.
2. any of various allied plants, as Lathyrus sativus, of Europe, cultivated for their edible seeds and for forage.
3. the beanlike seed or fruit of any such plant.