Definition of "pea family" []

• A large and widespread family of plants, the Leguminosae (Fabaceae), characterized by stipulate, usually compound leaves, often bilaterally symmetrical flowers, and legume fruits and including important food plants such as beans, peas, and soybeans. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.