(n)perennial twining vine of Old World tropics having trifoliate leaves and racemes of fragrant purple pea-like flowers followed by maroon pods of edible seeds; grown as an ornamental and as a vegetable on the Indian subcontinent; sometimes placed in genus Dolichos, Syn.Egyptian bean, bonavist, Indian bean, Lablab purpureus, Dolichos lablab
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English (GCIDE) v.0.53Collaborative International Dictionary (GCIDE)
n. (Bot.) an East Indian name for several twining leguminous plants related to the bean, but commonly applied to the hyacinth bean (Dolichos Lablab). [ 1913 Webster ]