legume Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun an erect or climbing bean or pea plant of the family Leguminosae
    leguminous plant.
  2. noun the fruit or seed of any of various bean or pea plants consisting of a case that splits along both sides when ripe and having the seeds attach to one side of the case
  3. noun the seedpod of a leguminous plant (such as peas or beans or lentils)

WordNet

Leg"ume noun
Etymology
F. légume, L. legumen, fr. legere to gather. So called because they may be gathered without cutting. See Legend.
Definitions
  1. (Bot.) A pod dehiscent into two pieces or valves, and having the seed attached at one suture, as that of the pea. ✍ In the latter circumstance, it differs from a siliqua, in which the seeds are attached to both sutures. In popular use, a legume is called a pod, or cod; as, pea pod, or peas cod.
  2. pl. The fruit of leguminous plants, as peas, beans, lupines; pulse.

Webster 1913