chickpea

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

chickpea
    n 1: the seed of the chickpea plant [syn: {chickpea},
         {garbanzo}]
    2: Asiatic herb cultivated for its short pods with one or two
       edible seeds [syn: {chickpea}, {chickpea plant}, {Egyptian
       pea}, {Cicer arietinum}]
    3: large white roundish Asiatic legume; usually dried [syn:
       {chickpea}, {garbanzo}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Chick-pea \Chick"-pea`\ (-p[=e]`), n. [See {Chich}.]
   1. (Bot.) A Small leguminous plant ({Cicer arietinum}) of
      Asia, Africa, and the south of Europe; the chich; the
      dwarf pea; the gram.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Its nutritious seed, used in cookery, and especially, when
      roasted (parched pulse), as food for travelers in the
      Eastern deserts.
      [1913 Webster]