'Heath pea' definitions:

Definition of 'heath pea'

noun

European herb bearing small tubers used for food and in Scotland to flavor whiskey [syn: heath pea, earth-nut pea, earthnut pea, tuberous vetch, Lathyrus tuberosus]

Definition of 'Heath pea'

From: GCIDE

Heath \Heath\ (h[=e]th), n. [OE. heth waste land, the plant heath, AS. h[=ae][eth]; akin to D. & G. heide, Icel. hei[eth]r waste land, Dan. hede, Sw. hed, Goth. hai[thorn]i field, L. bucetum a cow pasture; cf. W. coed a wood, Skr. ksh[=e]tra field. [root]20.]
1. (Bot.) (a) A low shrub (Erica vulgaris or Calluna vulgaris), with minute evergreen leaves, and handsome clusters of pink flowers. It is used in Great Britain for brooms, thatch, beds for the poor, and for heating ovens. It is also called heather, and ling. (b) Also, any species of the genus Erica, of which several are European, and many more are South African, some of great beauty. See Illust. of Heather. [1913 Webster]
2. A place overgrown with heath; any cheerless tract of country overgrown with shrubs or coarse herbage. [1913 Webster]
Their stately growth, though bare, Stands on the blasted heath. --Milton [1913 Webster]
Heath cock (Zool.), the blackcock. See Heath grouse (below).
Heath grass (Bot.), a kind of perennial grass, of the genus Triodia (Triodia decumbens), growing on dry heaths.
Heath grouse, or Heath game (Zool.), a European grouse (Tetrao tetrix), which inhabits heaths; -- called also black game, black grouse, heath poult, heath fowl, moor fowl. The male is called heath cock, and blackcock; the female, heath hen, and gray hen.
Heath hen. (Zool.) See Heath grouse (above).
Heath pea (Bot.), a species of bitter vetch ({Lathyrus macrorhizus}), the tubers of which are eaten, and in Scotland are used to flavor whisky.
Heath throstle (Zool.), a European thrush which frequents heaths; the ring ouzel. [1913 Webster]