Dolichos lablab
    n 1: 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:
         hyacinth bean, bonavist, Indian bean, Egyptian
         bean, Lablab purpureus, Dolichos lablab]

Hyacinth \Hy"a*cinth\, n. [L. hyacinthus a kind of flower, prob.
   the iris, gladiolus, or larkspur, also a kind of gem, perh.
   the sapphire; as, a proper name, Hyacinthus, a beautiful
   Laconian youth, beloved by Apollo, fr. Gr. ?, ?: cf. F.
   hyacinthe. Cf. Jacinth. The hyacinth was fabled to have
   sprung from the blood of Hyacinthus, who was accidentally
   slain by Apollo.]
   1. (Bot.)
      (a) A bulbous plant of the genus Hyacinthus, bearing
          beautiful spikes of fragrant flowers. Hyacinthus
          orientalis is a common variety.
      (b) A plant of the genus Camassia (Camassia Farseri),
          called also Eastern camass; wild hyacinth.
      (c) The name also given to Scilla Peruviana, a
          Mediterranean plant, one variety of which produces
          white, and another blue, flowers; -- called also, from
          a mistake as to its origin, Hyacinth of Peru.
          [1913 Webster]

   2. (Min.) A red variety of zircon, sometimes used as a gem.
      See Zircon.
      [1913 Webster]

   Hyacinth bean (Bot.), a climbing leguminous plant
      (Dolichos Lablab), related to the true bean. It has dark
      purple flowers and fruit.
      [1913 Webster]

Lablab \Lab"lab\ (l[a^]b"l[a^]b), 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]

Bean \Bean\ (b[=e]n), n. [OE. bene, AS. be['a]n; akin to D.
   boon, G. bohne, OHG. p[=o]na, Icel. baun, Dan. b["o]nne, Sw.
   b["o]na, and perh. to Russ. bob, L. faba.]
   1. (Bot.) A name given to the seed of certain leguminous
      herbs, chiefly of the genera Faba, Phaseolus, and
      Dolichos; also, to the herbs.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: The origin and classification of many kinds are still
         doubtful. Among true beans are: the black-eyed bean and
         China bean, included in Dolichos Sinensis; black
         Egyptian bean or hyacinth bean, Dolichos Lablab; the
         common haricot beans, kidney beans, string beans, and
         pole beans, all included in Phaseolus vulgaris; the
         lower bush bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, variety nanus;
         Lima bean, Phaseolus lunatus; Spanish bean and
         scarlet runner, Phaseolus multiflorus; Windsor bean,
         the common bean of England, Faba vulgaris.
         [1913 Webster] As an article of food beans are classed
         with vegetables.
         [1913 Webster]

   2. The popular name of other vegetable seeds or fruits, more
      or less resembling true beans.
      [1913 Webster]

   Bean aphis (Zool.), a plant louse (Aphis fab[ae]) which
      infests the bean plant.

   Bean fly (Zool.), a fly found on bean flowers.

   Bean goose (Zool.), a species of goose (Anser segetum).
      

   Bean weevil (Zool.), a small weevil that in the larval
      state destroys beans. The American species is Bruchus
      fab[ae].

   Florida bean (Bot.), the seed of Mucuna urens, a West
      Indian plant. The seeds are washed up on the Florida
      shore, and are often polished and made into ornaments.

   Ignatius bean, or St. Ignatius's bean (Bot.), a species
      of Strychnos.

   Navy bean, the common dried white bean of commerce;
      probably so called because an important article of food in
      the navy.

   Pea bean, a very small and highly esteemed variety of the
      edible white bean; -- so called from its size.

   Sacred bean. See under Sacred.

   Screw bean. See under Screw.

   Sea bean.
      (a) Same as Florida bean.
      (b) A red bean of unknown species used for ornament.

   Tonquin bean, or Tonka bean, the fragrant seed of
      Dipteryx odorata, a leguminous tree.

   Vanilla bean. See under Vanilla.
      [1913 Webster]