'Vicia sativa' definitions:

Definition of 'Vicia sativa'

noun

Herbaceous climbing plant valuable as fodder and for soil- building [syn: spring vetch, Vicia sativa]

From: GCIDE

Tare \Tare\, n. [Cf. Prov. E. tare brisk, eager, OE. tarefitch the wild vetch.]
1. A weed that grows among wheat and other grain; -- alleged by modern naturalists to be the Lolium temulentum, or darnel. [1913 Webster]
Didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares? --Matt. xiii. 27. [1913 Webster]
The "darnel" is said to be the tares of Scripture, and is the only deleterious species belonging to the whole order. --Baird. [1913 Webster]
2. (Bot.) A name of several climbing or diffuse leguminous herbs of the genus Vicia; especially, the {Vicia sativa}, sometimes grown for fodder. [1913 Webster]

From: GCIDE

Vetch \Vetch\ (v[e^]ch), n. [Also fitch; OE. ficche, feche, for veche, OF. veche, vecce, vesche, vesce, F. vesce, fr. L. vicia.] (Bot.) Any leguminous plant of the genus Vicia, some species of which are valuable for fodder. The common species is {Vicia sativa}. [1913 Webster]
Note: The name is also applied to many other leguminous plants of different genera; as the chichling vetch, of the genus Lathyrus; the horse vetch, of the genus Hippocrepis; the kidney vetch ({Anthyllis vulneraria}); the milk vetch, of the genus Astragalus; the licorice vetch, or wild licorice (Abrus precatorius). [1913 Webster]

From: GCIDE

Vicine \Vic"ine\, n. (Chem.) An alkaloid extracted from the seeds of the vetch ({Vicia sativa}) as a white crystalline substance. [1913 Webster]