What is "sweet pea"

Pea \Pea\, n.; pl. Peasor Pease. [OE. pese, fr. AS. pisa, or OF. peis, F. pois; both fr. L. pisum; cf. Gr. ?, ?. The final s was misunderstood in English as a plural ending. Cf. Pease.]

1. (Bot.) A plant, and its fruit, of the genus Pisum, of many varieties, much cultivated for food. It has a papilionaceous flower, and the pericarp is a legume, popularly called a pod.

   Note: When a definite number, more than one, is spoken of, the plural form peas is used; as, the pod contained nine peas; but, in a collective sense, the form pease is preferred; as, a bushel of pease; they had pease at dinner. This distinction is not always preserved, the form peas being used in both senses.

2. A name given, especially in the Southern States, to the seed of several leguminous plants (species of Dolichos, Cicer, Abrus, etc.) esp. those having a scar (hilum) of a different color from the rest of the seed. Note: The name pea is given to many leguminous plants more or less closely related to the common pea. See the Phrases, below. Beach pea (Bot.), a seashore plant, Lathyrus maritimus. Black-eyed pea, a West Indian name for Dolichos sph[ae]rospermus and its seed. Butterfly pea, the American plant Clitoria Mariana, having showy blossoms. Chick pea. See Chick-pea. Egyptian pea. Same as Chick-pea. Everlasting pea. See under Everlasting. Glory pea. See under Glory, n. Hoary pea, any plant of the genus Tephrosia; goat's rue. Issue pea, Orris pea. (Med.) See under Issue, and Orris. Milk pea. (Bot.) See under Milk. Pea berry, a kind of a coffee bean or grain which grows single, and is round or pea-shaped; often used adjectively; as, pea-berry coffee. Pea bug. (Zo["o]l.) Same as Pea weevil. Pea coal, a size of coal smaller than nut coal. Pea crab (Zo["o]l.), any small crab of the genus Pinnotheres, living as a commensal in bivalves; esp., the European species ( Pinnotheres pisum) which lives in the common mussel and the cockle. Pea dove (Zo["o]l.), the American ground dove. Pea-flower tribe (Bot.), a suborder ( Papilionace[ae]) of leguminous plants having blossoms essentially like that of the pea. --G. Bentham. Pea maggot (Zo["o]l.), the larva of a European moth ( Tortrix pisi), which is very destructive to peas. Pea ore (Min.), argillaceous oxide of iron, occurring in round grains of a size of a pea; pisolitic ore. Pea starch, the starch or flour of the common pea, which is sometimes used in adulterating wheat flour, pepper, etc. Pea tree (Bot.), the name of several leguminous shrubs of the genus Caragana, natives of Siberia and China. Pea vine. (Bot.)

   1. Any plant which bears peas.

   2. A kind of vetch or tare, common in the United States ( Lathyrus Americana, and other similar species).

      Pea weevil (Zo["o]l.), a small weevil ( Bruchus pisi) which destroys peas by eating out the interior.

      Pigeon pea. (Bot.) See Pigeon pea.

      Sweet pea (Bot.), the annual plant Lathyrus odoratus; also, its many-colored, sweet-scented blossoms.

Sweet \Sweet\, a. [Compar. Sweeter; superl. Sweetest.] [OE. swete, swote, sote, AS. sw[=e]te; akin to OFries. sw[=e]te, OS. sw[=o]ti, D. zoet, G. s["u]ss, OHG. suozi, Icel. s[ae]tr, s[oe]tr, Sw. s["o]t, Dan. s["o]d, Goth. suts, L. suavis, for suadvis, Gr. ?, Skr. sv[=a]du sweet, svad, sv[=a]d, to sweeten. [root]175. Cf. Assuage, Suave, Suasion.]

1. Having an agreeable taste or flavor such as that of sugar; saccharine; -- opposed to sour and bitter; as, a sweet beverage; sweet fruits; sweet oranges.

2. Pleasing to the smell; fragrant; redolent; balmy; as, a sweet rose; sweet odor; sweet incense.

   The breath of these flowers is sweet to me.
   --Longfellow.

3. Pleasing to the ear; soft; melodious; harmonious; as, the sweet notes of a flute or an organ; sweet music; a sweet voice; a sweet singer.

   To make his English sweet upon his tongue.
   --Chaucer.

   A voice sweet, tremulous, but powerful.
   --Hawthorne.

4. Pleasing to the eye; beautiful; mild and attractive; fair; as, a sweet face; a sweet color or complexion.

   Sweet interchange Of hill and valley, rivers, woods, and plains.
   --Milton.

5. Fresh; not salt or brackish; as, sweet water.
   --Bacon.

6. Not changed from a sound or wholesome state. Specifically:

   1. Not sour; as, sweet milk or bread.

   2. Not state; not putrescent or putrid; not rancid; as, sweet butter; sweet meat or fish.

7. Plaesing to the mind; mild; gentle; calm; amiable; winning; presuasive; as, sweet manners. Canst thou bind the sweet influence of Pleiades? --Job xxxviii. 3

   1. Mildness and sweet reasonableness is the one established rule of Christian working. --M. Arnold. Note: Sweet is often used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, sweet-blossomed, sweet-featured, sweet-smelling, sweet-tempered, sweet-toned, etc. Sweet alyssum. (Bot.) See Alyssum. Sweet apple. (Bot.)

      1. Any apple of sweet flavor.

      2. See Sweet-top. Sweet bay. (Bot.)

         1. The laurel ( laurus nobilis).

         2. Swamp sassafras. Sweet calabash (Bot.), a plant of the genus Passiflora ( P. maliformis) growing in the West Indies, and producing a roundish, edible fruit, the size of an apple. Sweet cicely. (Bot.)

            1. Either of the North American plants of the umbelliferous genus Osmorrhiza having aromatic roots and seeds, and white flowers.
               --Gray.

            2. A plant of the genus Myrrhis ( M. odorata) growing in England.

               Sweet calamus, or Sweet cane. (Bot.) Same as Sweet flag, below.

               Sweet Cistus (Bot.), an evergreen shrub ( Cistus Ladanum) from which the gum ladanum is obtained.

               Sweet clover. (Bot.) See Melilot.

               Sweet coltsfoot (Bot.), a kind of butterbur ( Petasites sagittata) found in Western North America.

               Sweet corn (Bot.), a variety of the maize of a sweet taste. See the Note under Corn.

               Sweet fern (Bot.), a small North American shrub ( Comptonia asplenifolia syn. Myrica asplenifolia) having sweet-scented or aromatic leaves resembling fern leaves.

               Sweet flag (Bot.), an endogenous plant ( Acorus Calamus) having long flaglike leaves and a rootstock of a pungent aromatic taste. It is found in wet places in Europe and America. See Calamus,

   2. Sweet gale (Bot.), a shrub ( Myrica Gale) having bitter fragrant leaves; -- also called sweet willow, and Dutch myrtle. See 5th Gale. Sweet grass (Bot.), holy, or Seneca, grass. Sweet gum (Bot.), an American tree ( Liquidambar styraciflua). See Liquidambar. Sweet herbs, fragrant herbs cultivated for culinary purposes. Sweet John (Bot.), a variety of the sweet William. Sweet leaf (Bot.), horse sugar. See under Horse. Sweet marjoram. (Bot.) See Marjoram. Sweet marten (Zo["o]l.), the pine marten. Sweet maudlin (Bot.), a composite plant ( Achillea Ageratum) allied to milfoil. Sweet oil, olive oil. Sweet pea. (Bot.) See under Pea. Sweet potato. (Bot.) See under Potato. Sweet rush (Bot.), sweet flag. Sweet spirits of niter (Med. Chem.) See Spirit of nitrous ether, under Spirit. Sweet sultan (Bot.), an annual composite plant ( Centaurea moschata), also, the yellow-flowered ( C. odorata); -- called also sultan flower. Sweet tooth, an especial fondness for sweet things or for sweetmeats. [Colloq.] Sweet William.

      1. (Bot.) A species of pink ( Dianthus barbatus) of many varieties.

      2. (Zo["o]l.) The willow warbler.

      3. (Zo["o]l.) The European goldfinch; -- called also sweet Billy. [Prov. Eng.]

         Sweet willow (Bot.), sweet gale.

         Sweet wine. See Dry wine, under Dry.

         To be sweet on, to have a particular fondness for, or special interest in, as a young man for a young woman. [Colloq.]
         --Thackeray.

         Syn: Sugary; saccharine; dulcet; luscious.

alt. 1 A flowering plant, (taxlink Lathyrus odoratus species noshow=1), grown for its bright colours and sweet fragrance. 2 A colloquial term of endearment for something sweet or lovely; a child or a pet, for example. n. 1 A flowering plant, (taxlink Lathyrus odoratus species noshow=1), grown for its bright colours and sweet fragrance. 2 A colloquial term of endearment for something sweet or lovely; a child or a pet, for example.

n. climbing garden plant having fragrant pastel-colored flowers [syn: sweetpea, Lathyrus odoratus]

Sweet pea is a flowering plant

Sweet Pea may refer to:

• Swee'Pea, a cartoon character
• "Sweet Pea" (song), a 1966 song by singer and songwriter Tommy Roe
• Sweet Pea, nickname for baseball player Joe Morgan
• Sweet Pea, nickname for boxer Pernell Whitaker
• Sweet Pea, a short film by Traci Lords
• "Sweet Pea", a song by singer Amos Lee
• Sweet Pea's Ghost Dance and Music Review, an e-zine
• Sweet Peas, a hostel in Asheville, North Carolina
• Sweet Pea Atkinson, vocalist, former member of pop group Was (Not Was)
• Sweet Pea, a Sucker Punch (2011 film) character

"Sweet Pea" is a song written and performed by Tommy Roe. It reached #1 in Canada, #1 in New Zealand, #7 in Australia,''', and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1966. It was featured on his 1966 album, Sweet Pea.

The song was produced by Gary S. Paxton.

The song was ranked #44 on Billboard magazine's Top Hot 100 songs of 1966.