alfalfa

[ al-fal-fuh ]
/ ælˈfæl fə /

noun

a plant, Medicago sativa, of the legume family, usually having bluish-purple flowers, originating in the Near East and widely cultivated as a forage crop.
Also called lucerne, purple medic.

Origin of alfalfa

1835–45; < Spanish, variant of alfalfez < Spanish Arabic al the + faṣfaṣah < Persian ispist lucerne

Words nearby alfalfa

alexius i, alexius i comnenus, aleyard, alf, alfa, alfalfa, alfalfa butterfly, alfalfa weevil, alfaro, alfheim, alfie

Example sentences from the Web for alfalfa

British Dictionary definitions for alfalfa

alfalfa
/ (ælˈfælfə) /

noun

a leguminous plant, Medicago sativa, of Europe and Asia, having compound leaves with three leaflets and clusters of small purplish flowers. It is widely cultivated for forage and as a nitrogen fixer and used as a commercial source of chlorophyll Also called: lucerne

Word Origin for alfalfa

C19: from Spanish, from Arabic al-fasfasah, from al the + fasfasah the best sort of fodder