A leguminous plant with purple flowers, grown as fodder for livestock and sometimes eaten by humans as sprouts. It's valued for its high protein content and ability to fix nitrogen in soil.
From Spanish alfalfa, which derives from Arabic الفِصْفِصَة (al-fiṣfiṣa), meaning 'the best fodder' or 'fresh fodder'. The Arabic term entered Spanish during the Islamic period in Iberia, and Spanish colonizers later brought both the word and the plant to the Americas. English adopted the term in the mid-19th century as this nutritious crop became important in American agriculture.
The Arabic name for alfalfa literally meant 'the best fodder', and medieval Muslim agriculturalists were absolutely right - this 'queen of forages' can produce more protein per acre than almost any other crop! The plant traveled the same route as the word: from the Middle East through Islamic Spain to the New World, showing how agricultural knowledge followed trade routes.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.