Meaning & use
fava
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableAmerican
A large, flat green seed that grows in a pod and is eaten as a vegetable.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a fava or two favas. The plural is favas or fava beans.
Patterns
- a fava
- fava beans
- some favas
She added a handful of favas to the salad.
Fava beans are a popular ingredient in Mediterranean cooking.
He doesn't like the taste of favas, so he skipped that dish.
nouncountableAmerican
The plant that produces these seeds.
Grammar: Countable: you can say a fava or favas when talking about the plants.
Patterns
- grow favas
- plant favas
Farmers grow favas in cool weather.
The favas in the garden are blooming.
Word forms
| plural | favas |
|---|
Common combinations
- fava beans
- Fava beans are often used in soups and stews.
- fresh favas
- Fresh favas are available in spring.
- dried favas
- Dried favas need to be soaked before cooking.
- shell favas
- You have to shell favas before eating them.
- fava pod
- The fava pod is thick and fuzzy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- broad bean
- British English for the same vegetable; use it in the UK, not in the US.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'fava' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Fava is countable, so the plural favas is correct. 'A fava' is possible but means one single bean, which is unlikely in this context. 'Fava' without an article or plural is not used as a count noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fava”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.