fenugreek

Noun

fenugreek (usually uncountable, plural fenugreeks)

1. (usually) Any of the species leguminous plant, Trigonella foenum-graecum, eaten as a vegetable and with seeds used as a spice.
   • Fenugreek plant was introduced to Central Europe by Benedictine monks, and it is promoted in the 9th century by Charlemagne. It was grown extensively in the imperial gardens of Charlemagne (Popova, 2017).2019, Muhammad Asif Hanif, Medicinal Plants of South Asia, Elsevier, →ISBN, page 260
2. (usually) The seeds of this plant, used as a spice (especially in Indian and Thai cooking).
   • Fenugreek’s nutritional and tonic properties have also been tapped since ancient times. […] Fenugreek-based preparations stimulate the appetite and promote weight gain in people with anemia, anorexia, tuberculosis or asthenia.2000, B. Dave Oomah, Herbs, Botanicals and Teas, CRC Press, →ISBN, page 110

   Synonyms:

   methi