lupin
/ˈluːpɪn/ noun
Forms lupins lupine lupini
- noun Any member of the genus Lupinus in the family Fabaceae.
- noun A lupin bean, a yellow legume seed of a Lupinus plant (usually Lupinus luteus), used as feed for sheep and cattle and commonly eaten in the Mediterranean area and in Latin America although toxic if prepared improperly.
Synonyms
lupini lupine
Etymology
From Middle English lupyne, lupine, from Old French lupin, from Latin lupīnus (“pertaining to the wolf”), because of the wolf-like “fang” within the blossom. It has also been linked to an assumed depletion of nutrients in the soil.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “lupin”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details