chickling

A farmer harvests ripe chickling in a sunny field.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A type of plant: "chickling" refers to a plant of the genus Lathyrus, especially Lathyrus sativus, commonly known as chickling vetch or grass pea. It is a leguminous plant grown for fodder or human consumption in some regions, though it can be toxic if consumed in large quantities.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Farmers in parts of Asia and Africa cultivate chickling as a drought-resistant crop. (The plant is grown for its seeds or as animal feed.)
  • The seeds of chickling are sometimes ground into flour, but they must be prepared carefully to avoid toxicity. (The plant's seeds require special processing.)

Advanced Usage

• "chickling vetch": a common alternative name for the same plant.
  • Chickling vetch is also known as grass pea or khesari dal. (These are other names for the same species.)

Variants and Related Words

• Chick (n): a young bird, especially a chicken; unrelated in meaning but similar in spelling.

  • The hen watched over her chick. (A young chicken.)

• Chickpea (n): a different legume (Cicer arietinum), often confused with chickling.

  • Chickpeas are used to make hummus. (A different legume from chickling.)

Synonyms

• Grass pea: another common name for the plant.
• Khesari dal: a term used in South Asia for the split seeds of chickling.

Related Idioms

• (The word is primarily botanical and technical.)

Phrasal Verbs

• (The word is a noun and does not form phrasal verbs.)