milk vetch

milk vetch
noun
any of various plants of the genus Astragalus
• Syn: ↑milk-vetch
• Hypernyms: ↑woody plant, ↑ligneous plant
• Hyponyms:
• Member Holonyms: ↑Astragalus, ↑genus Astragalus

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noun
1. : a bright green prostrate perennial Old World herb (Astragalus glycyphyllos) that has sulfur yellow flowers in dense spikes and is popularly supposed to increase the milk yield of goats
2. : any of various plants (as members of the genera Astragalus, Geoprumnon, and Phaca) that are related to the common milk vetch and that include some which are highly poisonous to livestock — compare locoweed

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1. a European plant, Astragalus glycyphyllos, of the legume family, believed to increase the secretion of milk in goats.
2. any herb of certain allied genera.
[1590-1600]

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milk vetch noun
A plant of the genus Astragalus, cultivated as fodder and supposed to increase yield of milk
• • •
Main Entry: ↑milk
————————
milk vetch
A plant of the Astragalus genus
• • •
Main Entry: ↑vetch

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milk vetch,
1. a European herb of the pea family, thought to increase the amount of milk secreted by goats feeding upon it.
2. any of several allied herbs.

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(also milk-vetch) n. a plant of the pea family found throughout the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere, grown in several regions as a fodder plant. ● Genus Astragalus, family Leguminosae: numerous species, including the widespread A. canadensis

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Milk vetch — (Bot.) A leguminous herb ({Astragalus glycyphyllos}) of Europe and Asia, supposed to increase the secretion of milk in goats. [1913 Webster] Note: The name is sometimes taken for the whole genus {Astragalus}, of which there are about two hundred… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • milk vetch — milk′ vetch n. pln any of various plants of the genus Astragalus, of the legume family, esp. a European plant, A. glycyphyllos, believed to increase the secretion of milk in goats • Etymology: 1590–1600 …   From formal English to slang

  • milk vetch — n. [from the notion that it increases the secretion of milk in goats] any of a genus (Astragalus) of plants of the pea family, with deeply cut leaves, flowers in spikes or racemes, and, usually, inflated pods …   English World dictionary

  • milk-vetch — noun any of various plants of the genus Astragalus • Syn: ↑milk vetch • Hypernyms: ↑woody plant, ↑ligneous plant • Hyponyms: ↑wild licorice, ↑wild liquorice, ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • milk vetch — Astragalus As*trag a*lus, n. [L. See {Astragal}.] 1. (Anat.) The ankle bone, or hock bone; the bone of the tarsus which articulates with the tibia at the ankle. [1913 Webster] 2. (Bot.) A genus of papilionaceous plants, of the tribe {Galege[ae]} …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • milk vetch — noun Etymology: from the popular belief that it increases the milk yield of goats Date: 1597 any of a genus (Astragalus) of annual or perennial leguminous herbs of north temperate regions …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • milk vetch — 1. a European plant, Astragalus glycyphyllos, of the legume family, believed to increase the secretion of milk in goats. 2. any herb of certain allied genera. [1590 1600] * * * …   Universalium

  • milk vetch — /ˈmɪlk vɛtʃ/ (say milk vech) noun any small herb of the Northern Hemisphere genus Astragalus, especially A. hamosus, naturalised in Australian pastures …  

  • milk-vetch — noun any of several species of flowering plants of the genus Astragalus …   Wiktionary

  • milk vetch — noun a yellow flowered leguminous plant, grown in some regions for fodder. [Astragalus glycyphyllos.] …   English new terms dictionary

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