al·fal·fa ( l-fl f )n. A southwest Asian perennial herb (Medicago sativa) having compound leaves with three leaflets and clusters of usually blue-violet flowers. It is widely cultivated as a pasture and hay crop. [Spanish, from Arabic al-fa  faa : al-, the + fafaa, alfalfa (variant of fifia, from Persian aspist, clover).] |
alfalfa [ælˈfælfə]
n
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Plants) a leguminous plant, Medicago sativa, of Europe and Asia, having compound leaves with three leaflets and clusters of small purplish flowers. It is widely cultivated for forage and as a nitrogen fixer and used as a commercial source of chlorophyll Also called lucerne
[from Spanish, from Arabic al-fasfasah, from al the + fasfasah the best sort of fodder]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  alfalfa - important European leguminous forage plant with trifoliate leaves and blue-violet flowers grown widely as a pasture and hay cropalfalfa - leguminous plant grown for hay or forage |
| 2. |  alfalfa - leguminous plant grown for hay or foragefodder - coarse food (especially for livestock) composed of entire plants or the leaves and stalks of a cereal crop alfalfa, lucerne, Medicago sativa - important European leguminous forage plant with trifoliate leaves and blue-violet flowers grown widely as a pasture and hay crop |
Translations
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